Social Media And Patient Privacy
When working in the medical field as a Physician, Nurse Manager, Staff Nurse or even a PCT you will come across problems in your facility. The best way to handle a problem, is to first, identify the problem at hand, develop strategies or solutions to correct the problem and then work together to implement a common goal. One problem that has been plaguing America for decades now is how technology and social media have almost eliminated privacy; weather it is by ones’ own accord or someone around you. The general public has greatly increased their use of social media, “the adult population alone has increased their use of social media from 8% to 72% since 2005” (Bernhardt, 2014). “According to a survey of more than 4,000 physicians conducted by the social media site QuantiaMD, they found that more than 90% of physicians use at least one social media site for personal use and over 65% use social media for professional purposes” (Ventola, 2014).
This comes with the increase of treatments being intertwined with technology, social media and patient care. Because of the growth of technology within the medical community there has been an increase of direct patient involvement with their plan of care. This direct involvement sometimes makes it more difficult to control the environment in and around the patient-centered care. Weather we use biosensors (which are a type of tracking devise), facility website or health apps we as health care workers inadvertently open ourselves up to social media and privacy concerns. Synopsis of problem It is the job of the “Nurse Manager to ensure that staff members both understand and abide by the rules regarding patient privacy and confidentiality” (Yoder-Wise, 2015 p. 83).
There is a thin line we as professional care-givers must walk when addressing patient privacy and social media. Webster defines privacy as “freedom from unauthorized intrusion” (Privacy, 2015). “Privacy is the patient’s right to protect against public disclosure of private facts about the patient by the hospital staff” (Yoder-Wise, p. 83. 2015). Social Media is defined as “Forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content” (Webster, 2015). Social media refers to internet-based tools such as blogs, microblogs, networking sites (professional and social), knowledge and information sites. Large multi-facility hospitals now have online registry where a patient can create a profile page so that every time they are at the doctor’s office, make an ER visit, lab work or have an x-ray done within the organization it can be shared between the entities. With all the development of internet technologies, we as health care providers we are under an oath to keep our patients’ information such as name, birth date, diagnoses, disabilities and/or deformities to ourselves. To help improve the effectiveness of healthcare, the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services created the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA adopted national standards for electronic health records, codes and security.
In 2003, HIPAA published a standard set of rules to protect patient confidentiality” (HHS. gov). As the Nurse Manager, it’s my job to make certain my staff is aware of HIPAA regulations and what it entails to hold up the standards for patient privacy on all aspects of life. Whether it be in a hospital, via email or a social media platform. There are many internet-based tools that are used today within the medical community. One such group of tools is the biosensor equipment. There are many things that fall within this group, some examples are Bipap, Cpap, defibrillators, and even insulin pumps. Biosensors are giving healthcare providers real-time data logging. Medical devices, such as defibrillators that can relay information to the physician without the patient ever coming into the office. This information can be shared over the internet or through a land-line phone; Through these land-line phones and internet connections “Some physicians are starting to outsource to social media sites” (Denecke, 2015) to monitor patients so the office has time for the day-to-day duties. These devices send information over the phone, through the internet and via emails between PCPs and other members of the patients care team. Due to the increase use of biosensors by physicians, clinicians and researchers on patients; There is a greater increase in the risk of releasing too much information to other entities.
Other health tools that Americans love to use are health apps and fitness trackers; These go hand in hand. Health apps such as My Fitness Pal, Fitbit, BetterMe and Fitness Buddy all recommend you buy a tracker device and/or then download the app to your phone or computer. The intentions for these apps are great and have helped hundreds of thousands of people each year, but with the growth of these technologies comes the growth of hackers. You as a patient put your information into your phone or your computer so your app can analyze the information and help you become a better you. As a consumer you hope that the information you have shared within the app stays within the app. The down side to this is that thousands of people are hacked every year and their information is leaked to whomever. The majority of medical apps you see on Google Play and App Store don’t fall under HIPAA, as they’re usually intended for a patient’s personal use.
These are apps for monitoring certain health aspects (weight, pulse, or glucose levels) or those to follow the medication schedule (unless this data is transmitted to a health plan server), the HIPAA Rules won’t apply if a patient downloads an app to send summary reports by a doctor’s recommendation. “This is because the covered entity (in this case, the physician) doesn’t enter into an agreement with a developer. The healthcare provider must create an interoperability arrangement with a software vendor so that the app’s data could be securely transmitted to an EHR system at a patient’s request” (Yelina, 2018).
Review of the Literature
“The boundaries between appropriate vs. inappropriate and personal vs. professional use of social media can be easily blurred” (www. medpro. com). There are many individuals responsible for making social media and healthcare work together. “The most popular social media sites for physicians are those where they can participate in online communities, listen to experts, and network and communicate with colleagues regarding patient issues” (Ventola, 2014).
As healthcare providers we need to navigate the delicate balance associated with social media and privacy. As a nurse we need to form those relationships with our patients, because we have an obligation to establish a working relationship with patients and their family members; but must also maintain professional boundaries. Becoming involved at a deeper level with the patient can create blurred lines that may be crossed. Communicating and enforcing professional boundaries with patients is a better approach to patient care. Use caution when having online social contact with patients or former patients. Solutions to help eliminate the use of social media in a professional setting start with you, The Nurse. As a professional we should always adhere to our privacy policies and procedures. If your facility is not clear on social media policies or do not have a clear policy, then now would be a good time to defined what is acceptable within your facility. This will give you as the healthcare worker a clear and defined line on what is acceptable and what should not be acceptable by employees. Make sure you know what your state nursing regulations are and research the American Nurses Association policies on social media. Not only know them but understand them and follow them.
Proposed Solution
Even if your facility doesn’t have a set social media policy then do your research and base your professional practice on the information that you obtain. Making sure you know your states board of nursing policies and procedures and know the American Nursing Associations procedures and start from there. Remember your license is in your hands. Creating a “No cellphone” policy for yourself is a proactive way to keep from being tempted to use your phone while on the floor, it also brings the focus back to the patient-care. If you eliminate the Change Strategies for implementation of proposed Solution “Lewin’s Change Theory consist of three steps; unfreezing, moving, and refreezing” (Yoder-Wise p. 308). When proposing change in any field it is inevitable that you will meet resistance and will take time to implement the change. Unfreezing attitudes, beliefs and knowledge is the first step in the process of change theory. “Unfreezing is the ability to get an individual or group of people to overcome their desire to keep things the same” (Yoder-Wise). Social media is relatively new to the healthcare field Nurses must not share, post or otherwise disseminate any information or images about a patient or information gained in the nurse/patient relationship with anyone unless there is a patient care-related need to disclose the information or other legal obligations to do so.
