By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    You Probably Thought the Public Option Was Dead
    June 1, 2011
    Employers as Doctors
    July 9, 2011
    Pushback On My Medicare Proposals
    August 12, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Social Media Policies and “Spying” by Physicians
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Ethics > Social Media Policies and “Spying” by Physicians
eHealthMedical EthicsPolicy & LawSocial Media

Social Media Policies and “Spying” by Physicians

David Harlow
David Harlow
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Report-on-patient-privacy

Report-on-patient-privacy

I recently spoke with Theresa Defino, editor of AIS Health’s Report on Patient Privacy about the limits of social media “research” by or on behalf of health care providers. The impetus for this piece was a post written by Art Caplan about a patient being taken off the liver transplant list when social media posts including photos of the patient drinking alcohol came to the attention of the transplant team. (The patient was later put back on the list.)

Is this sort of “Big Brother” approach OK, or was it taken too far? (Follow the link to a discussion of the British case I mention in the article.)

Medical ethicist Art Caplan, my brother at the (HIPAA) bar Adam Greene and I were quoted in the AIS Health article. Greene noted that HIPAA does not cover the posting of information by or about a patient on a social network and its review by a provider. Caplan and I agreed that what’s public is public, and what’s private is private.

(Newt Gingrich, a couple years back, seemed to be calling for the use of hacked Facebook accounts as a reasonable substitute for electronic health records. One woman’s approach to quantified self — tracking symptoms on Facebook — turned out to be a lifesaver when her son hacked her account and shared the posts with her physician after she was admitted to a hosptial through the emergency department and ended up in a coma. While this may be a heart-warming anecdote, it should not support any policy decisions. I would not want to encourage hacking social media accounts as a general rule, and I would want to encourage more robust communication between patient and physician — a goal that we should reach in Meaningful Use Stage 3, when standards will be introduced for patient-generated health data … patients writing to the EHR.)

Clearly, the notion that certain “boundary issues” are sacrosanct is not as widely disseminated within the medical-industrial complex as it should be.

The Federation of State Medical Boards’ model social media policy, recently adopted by the Rhode Island medical board (and therefore discussed in the AIS Health piece), lays out an early-stage framework for the use of social media by health care providers. (See my earlier post on the FSMB and ACP social media policy. Also worth noting is an earlier social media misstep by a Rhode Island physician.) As with any tool that is new to a particular group of individuals, it is important to start with a conservative approach, and slowly build out from there. Some health care social media users are comfortable with the tools, and are using them well. Over time, more users of social media in the health care arena will be functioning — collectively — at a higher maturity level. Guidelines that are implemented and then revisited on a regular basis can mirror the current maturity of any given community, and can help move the community along to the next level.

Standards, ediucation and familiarity are all essential elements for the development of robust and respectful interactions in the realm of health care social media. As important as knowing how, when and where to post something is knowing when and where to look for information, when and where not to look, and when to take it off line.

TAGGED:patient privacy
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Image
Policy & Law

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against UnitedHealthGroup: Mental Health Claim Denials & Violation of Parity Laws

March 14, 2013
social media addiction is harming teenage mental health
eHealthMental HealthSocial Media

5 Ways Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health

April 4, 2022
treating patients
Health Reform

Treating Patients Rather Than Primary Diagnosis

April 7, 2014
Disparities In Congenital Heart Defect Detection, Treatment
eHealth

Disparities In Congenital Heart Defect Detection, Treatment

November 10, 2018
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?