Please sound the alarms. Another story burst to the surface of the ocean of online news the other week about another health care worker divulging health information about a patient via Facebook. This time is was in Rhode Island. It seems that anytime something like this occurs, the media is there to jump over the privacy issue.
All I can say to health care organizations: Don’t freak out.
Yes, it was a lack of judgment of the part of the doctor (as is most of the time) and it was not cool to post details (although the doctor probably assumed they were vague enough). Don’t let these horror stories scare you and your organization from using social media. Instead of the negatives, focus on what you CAN do with social media.
- You CAN use your patient stories that are consented upon.
- You CAN use comments from others to connect and interact with.
- You CAN use a story like this to highlight that your organization has a clear *social media policy for employees and you take it very seriously.
So let’s stop getting freaked out when stories like this happen. They will most likely continue to happen. Take the time to focus on what you can do and more forward.
*If you need help preparing your organization’s social media policy for employees, give Sparkfire Marketing a shout out. We’d be glad to help.
