{"id":9053,"date":"2013-09-12T17:00:04","date_gmt":"2013-09-12T21:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poweryourpractice.com\/?p=9053"},"modified":"2025-06-30T11:45:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T11:45:58","slug":"4-tips-to-steer-clear-of-social-media-hipaa-slip-ups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carecloud.com\/continuum\/4-tips-to-steer-clear-of-social-media-hipaa-slip-ups\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Tips to Steer Clear of Social Media HIPAA Slip-Ups"},"content":{"rendered":"

Facebook is ideal for grumpy cat videos, pictures of your recent chicken-lime-bacon culinary experiment, and praise for your favorite Journey lyric<\/a>. It is not, however, the appropriate place for your staff to voice frustrations with an unruly patient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While services like Facebook and Twitter often benefit<\/a>\u00a0physicians as a medium to educating current and attracting new patients, social media also blurs the lines between our public and private lives<\/strong> \u2013 especially since much of what you do online isn\u2019t very private at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This can result in issues for a number of providers, who are encountering problems keeping protected health information (PHI) from spilling onto the Internet.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The issue has become so prevalent that HHS released a warning to physicians to be mindful of their social media use. So, since social media is yet another conduit for HIPAA violations, it\u2019s important for practices to be aware of the possible pitfalls of online networking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The following tips will help keep you from falling victim to HHS scrutiny<\/a> and possible HIPAA penalties.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t talk about patients, even in general terms. <\/strong>Any sort of unauthorized public disclosure of a patient\u2019s health information is considered a serious breach of HIPAA standards and warrants an HHS inquiry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t mix your personal and business profiles. <\/strong>Facebook allows you to create two types of pages: business and personal. It\u2019s key to draw a clear line between your personal and professional pages, so use Facebook\u2019s business services for your medical practice.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t vent your frustrations online. <\/strong>This is a surefire way to get in trouble. The biggest violation in HIPAA history<\/a> occurred on Facebook, when hundreds of Chicago-based medical workers created a group titled \u201cDid you know this alcoholic Indian?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In it, they posted images and stories of a well-known homeless man, who frequented area hospitals. This led to a serious HHS investigation into the matter. Thus, take a moment to consider any and all HIPAA implications before posting anything<\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t send private messages that contain PHI. <\/strong>Facebook messages aren\u2019t encrypted in any way, and therefore fall under direct violation of HIPAA standards. A better alternative for sending private messages is to use an EHR equipped with a patient portal that allows you to send patients secure messages.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHealth care professionals have been cautiously approaching social media, and as they become more comfortable, they are more and more often using it,\u201d said Christina Beach Thielst, author of\u00a0Social Media in Healthcare: Connect, Communicate, Collaborate.<\/em><\/p>\n

[do action=”separators”\/]As people become more comfortable, the need for clarifying appropriate usage becomes more evident. Thielst recommends healthcare organizations develop well-thought-out policies<\/strong> that fit with their office culture and the expectations set for employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a good idea to implement policies or distribute handbooks that explain the proper use of social networking to staff. Employees must be aware of the importance of HIPAA<\/a> and its implications on social media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Facebook is ideal for grumpy cat videos, pictures of your recent chicken-lime-bacon culinary experiment, and praise for your favorite Journey lyric. It is not, however, the appropriate place for your staff to voice frustrations with an unruly patient.\u00a0 While services like Facebook and Twitter often benefit\u00a0physicians as a medium to educating current and attracting new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-9053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trends","tag-leadership"],"yoast_head":"\nAvoid HIPAA Slip-Ups on Social Media \u2013 CareCloud<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"HHS warns physicians to be mindful of their social media use to avoid HIPAA violations. 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