To Post or Not to Post? Social Media Use by Healthcare Workers

Social media use is ubiquitous in modern society, with an estimated 4.9 billion people worldwide actively using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Snapchat. This means that one in three people across the globe are socializing online. A typical social media user in the US alone has 7.1 social media accounts.

With so many active users, the question for many is: To post, or not to post? This is especially relevant for healthcare workers, where over 90% of clinical employees under 40 years old are active social media users. Professional healthcare organizations like the American Medical Association (AMA) have provided guidance on appropriate social media use, focusing on adhering to privacy regulations like HIPAA.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's Privacy Rule prohibits disclosing protected health information (PHI) on social networks without patient consent. Caution is advised when interacting online with patients to avoid inadvertent HIPAA violations.

Common social media HIPAA violations include:

• Posting patient images/videos without consent

• Sharing patient gossip

• Posting identifiable patient information

• Sharing photos/images with visible patients or PHI

Healthcare workers must be mindful of maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality in all environments, including online. Following organizational social media policies and refraining from posting identifiable patient information can help reduce HIPAA compliance risks.