[Checklist] HIPAA-Compliant Social Media Strategizing

Social media has become an integrated part of today's world, and it is no surprise that it plays an increasingly important role in our lives. As healthcare professionals, you know the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest technologies, including social media-related ones. 

Social media lets us quickly and easily share information with a broad audience, including both current and potential patients on social media. However, it also can be a tough area to navigate if you don’t focus on maintaining a HIPAA-compliant social media presence.  

It also:

• Provides an opportunity to engage directly with patients or potential patients via online communities or forums

• Builds relationships

• Increases patient satisfaction

• Supplies a platform for collaboration between different medical practitioners around the world

• Provides another avenue for patients to recommend and review your practice

HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, regulates the use, storage, and disclosure of protected health information (PHI). It is important to note that any PHI shared on social media must comply with HIPAA regulations. This includes not posting any pictures or videos of patients without their explicit written consent. 

Strategy & the Reason for HIPAA-Compliant Social Media

Creating a HIPAA-compliant social media strategy is helpful for business success because it enables practices and hospitals to capitalize on the power of social media while still protecting patient privacy. Social media can be used to build relationships with patients, increase engagement, promote services, and educate the public about why it's important to see a doctor in their particular specialty. 

A strong compliance policy will reassure both patients and prospective patients that their data is secure and protected. This assurance can help build trust and loyalty among your patient base, leading to: 

• More referrals

• Improved customer service ratings

• Higher revenues for your practice 

By creating a HIPAA-compliant strategy, you can ensure that all posts, images, and videos adhere to the highest standards of patient privacy while still allowing you to leverage the potential of social media marketing. Protecting a patient’s personal health information is a key component in maintaining trust between doctor and patient while avoiding potentially costly violations.

The facets of a HIPAA-compliant social media strategy should include::

• Maintain clear messaging and brand awareness

• Provide transparency to staff in terms of the policy

• Build trust with your patients

Understanding HIPAA Compliance

Healthcare organizations and their employees must take extra care when navigating HIPAA and social media, as non-compliance with HIPAA can lead to serious consequences. Violating any of the provisions can result in fines or other penalties imposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Furthermore, it can even lead to criminal prosecution in certain cases. 

In addition to these risks, healthcare organizations might also suffer from reputational damage if there is a breach of confidential patient information, leading to a loss of trust from patients and other stakeholders.

[Checklist] Building a HIPAA-Compliant Social Media Strategy

It's important to plan when crafting a HIPAA-compliant social media strategy. Different approaches might be needed for different purposes, such as marketing and customer service. 

For example, some organizations may decide that it is better to keep patient information confidential by creating an anonymous user account on social media platforms for customer service inquiries.

It is also essential to have policies in place for employees who use their accounts on behalf of the organization, making sure that any content they post is identified as being from them, rather than the organization itself.

This checklist covers all of your bases as you create your strategy:

• Conduct a risk assessment

• Outline accepted and prohibited uses of social media for staff

• Identify appropriate staff training

• Utilize secure platforms

• Create strong passwords and utilize two-factor authentication where appropriate

• Follow a schedule to monitor and audit social media activities

• Establish a crisis management plan

• Conduct a Risk Assessment for Social Media Use

A thorough risk assessment of existing social media strategies is a necessity. Looking at any new strategy you are thinking about developing is also key. This will identify potential risks that can occur while using social media for patient care. It is also important to assess the impact of social media on patient confidentiality and the need to ensure that any data shared is secure.

The risk assessment should also cover employees’ use of their accounts for work-related purposes. This can include examining how employees might use their accounts to post about work, which could potentially reveal confidential information about patients or the organization itself.

Having policies in place that clearly define how and when employees can use their accounts for work-related activities is an essential part of protecting privacy and maintaining confidentiality.

• Outline Acceptable and Prohibited Uses of Social Media

Once the risks have been identified, organizations must develop policies that clearly define how and when employees can use social media for work-related activities. These policies should include specific guidelines on what is acceptable and what is not regarding social media use, such as whether it is permissible to post about work-related topics and if so, under what circumstances. 

The policy should also outline any disciplinary measures that might be taken if an employee does not adhere to these guidelines.

• Train and Educate Staff on HIPAA and Social Media Best Practices

It is essential for any organization that handles or collects sensitive patient data to ensure its staff is trained on HIPAA regulations and social media best practices. Not only will this help protect the organization from potential HIPAA violations, but it will also help foster a culture of responsible social media use among employees. 

Training programs should outline what behaviors are acceptable and which are not, as well as guide how to handle confidential data when necessary. Organizations may consider implementing regular training sessions and audits to ensure the avoidance of a social media HIPAA violation. 

If you're concerned about budgets for your medical practice, consider the resource below:

• Utilize Secure Platforms

In the wake of rapid technological advancements and an ever-evolving digital landscape, organizations must ensure they use secure platforms for social media management. By using secure encrypted systems like Sharepoint or Office 365, organizations can protect sensitive patient data from potential cyber security threats.

These systems also provide tools to help track employee activity on social media accounts to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations and other internal policies. Organizations should also implement routine security checks to detect any potential malicious activity from inside and outside sources and avoid HIPAA violations on social media. 

Social media is not just a platform for marketing and external communications; it is an integral part of many organizations’ technical infrastructure. As such, investing in the latest technologies and security protocols is essential to protect sensitive patient data and remain compliant with HIPAA regulations. 

• Create Strong Passwords and Utilize Two-Factor Authentication Where Appropriate

Security is an important factor in protecting personal information online. One of the most essential steps to protect yourself and your medical practice is to create secure passwords when creating a social media account. Secure passwords should be long, complex combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols that are not easily guessable. It's also important to use different passwords for each of your online accounts so that if one account is compromised, others won't be at risk.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) provides an additional layer of security to protect your online accounts. 2FA requires users to authenticate themselves using two forms of authentication - something you know, such as a password or PIN; and something you have, such as a smartphone or physical token. 

This added protection helps reduce the chances of account hijacking or other malicious activity because the user has to enter two pieces of information before they are granted access to their account. With 2FA in place, an attacker would need access to both your password and physical device to gain control over your account. 

By taking these measures, you can help ensure that your data remains secure and accessible only to those who should have access.

• Follow a Schedule to Monitor and Audit Social Media Activities

Regularly monitoring your social media channels is essential to ensure that any potential privacy breaches are caught and dealt with promptly. Staying on top of post reviews and comments allows you to quickly respond to any violations and take the necessary measures to mitigate them.

In addition, regularly auditing social media activities can help you stay up-to-date on trends in your industry as well as gain insights into what resonates best with followers. This will ensure that you’re providing informative and engaging content for your audience. 

• Establish a Crisis Management Plan

Discussing a crisis management plan in place long before an event or crisis occurs can save you a great deal of stress and help you manage negative press and public perception. When creating your plan, consider potential social media crises and the steps you’d need to take to address them.

You should also create a detailed set of steps to contain any privacy breaches quickly if they occur. The plan should include:

• Analyzing the scope of the breach

• Assessing its impact on your business

• Responding promptly with appropriate measures such as issuing apologies, revising policies, or suspending services.

HIPAA-Compliance & Your Social Media

It’s important to create a secure environment for your social media content by adhering to HIPAA standards. Not only will this protect your medical practice’s reputation and help you maintain trust with your patients, but failing to comply could also result in serious legal consequences such as fines or litigation. The release of medical records without permission can have heavy consequences.

By creating a comprehensive crisis management plan and staying up-to-date with HIPAA rules and regulations, your business can effectively manage any potential crises that arise from social media.

When it comes to physician practice management, 99 Healthcare Management has extensive experience in guiding you through the steps for how to run a clinic successfully. 

For additional information on HIPAA violation examples and more, consider these resources on social media management: 

4 Common HIPAA Violations on Social Media Platforms

10 Social Media Guidelines & Tips for Online HIPAA Compliance

10 of the Best Social Media Tips for Healthcare Professionals

The Top 3 Benefits of Using Social Media in Healthcare Marketing