The Issue Of Protecting Patient Information

While advancements in technology have positively impacted the nursing field, it has also created huge concerns with patient privacy and sharing of protected health information leading to detrimental effects to patients and their families. Indeed, technology is changing the face of healthcare with positive innovations to reduce medication errors and documentation errors. However, technology at our fingertips has created immense concerns with sharing of protected health information of patients via social media, email and other means of communication via technology. This paper addresses why I feel the advancement of technology has numerous deficits that need more research and implementation of new laws and policies to safeguard the

Communication has been permanently changed by social media. A wide conceptual definition of social media, as cited in Ressler & Glazer (2010), is “The online and mobile accessible services that enable individuals to connect, collaborate, and share with others in real time.” Social media has an obvious influence on informal communication style and represents both possibility and liability for healthcare institutions. As cited in Bernhardt, Alber, & Gold (2014), “Social media provide healthcare professionals with tools to share information, to debate health care policy and practice issues, to promote health behaviors, to engage with the public, and to educate and interact with patients, caregivers, students, and colleagues.” It also presents challenges, including risks to information accuracy, organizational reputation, and individual privacy. Social media can be a very helpful in communicating among nurses and other healthcare providers while creating professional connections, and sharing experiences, but guidelines for appropriate use by healthcare providers are essential. Whether or not certain healthcare organization decides to use social media as a communications tool - social media policy still need to be implemented. Policies help establish an organization 's rules and expectations around social media.

In the world today, smartphones are becoming the “norm”, with basic phones becoming nearly obsolete in recent years. Pairing the overwhelming presence of social media with the rise in usage of smartphones brings to light an entirely new set of problems and challenges regarding patient privacy. According to a 2010 study conducted regarding various boards of nursing, 67% of executive officers surveyed reported receiving complaints about nurses misusing social media (Spector & Kappel,

Another way nurses use freedom when it comes to social media and technology “Trust—the hallmark of the nurse-patient relationship” Brous explains about this saying that “nurses should avoid talking about any patients or their situations online…that includes adding their name or other protected information.” By doing this nurses won’t be breaking any rules and they can avoid any mishaps.

In the present culture of the United States, social media has had a major impact in American society. It has a profound influence and intertwined itself in almost every aspect of the average American’s life. It ranges from providing updates of location of a person(s), events, and sharing personal moments. Even different industries are utilizing social media as a platform for communication, information, and sales mediums. One industry, the health care field has seen a rise in the utilization of social media. For instance, an emerging population of physicians are using social media apps such as Snap Chat, Facebook, and YouTube to educate, display surgical, and medical procedures while being performed. In contrast, as there are positive aspects of utilizing social media, a negative trait of social media is invading and exposing individual’s privacy. As of recent, a New York licensed nurse had to surrender her nursing license and sentenced to 3 years of probation for “moral unfitness in the practice (Bowerman, 2016).” She took photos with her phone of two unconscious male patient’s genitalia and shared them with coworkers. This has become an increasing issue and as the utilization of social media in healthcare is increasing, many ethical issues are developing. For instance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was passed for the adoption of a national standard for electronic health care transactions and code sets, unique health identifiers,

In nursing school HIPAA is one of the first and foremost topics covered. It is not simply a skill that can be tested on paper and filed away into the back of your mind. HIPAA is a crucial concept and practice that all workers in the field of healthcare must strictly adhere to. Although it should seem like common sense to respect the privacy and rights of a patient, there are far too many incidences where boundaries have been crossed, and information breached. The case of Carolyn Strom should serve as a pertinent example reinforcing how rapid the response can be when posting on social media, even if you think you are being discreet or anonymous. Patients need to be looked at not as chart numbers, but as humans who have a sense of pride

Employees within healthcare and anyone who has been a mature patient in recent years have been duly informed of the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA), but even more people are more intimately familiar with the social networking site Facebook. Prior to researching the legal and ethical boundaries at it pertains to patient confidentiality in nursing school, many of us thought little of the HIPPA concept and how it applies to each of us as individuals. We can announce to the world on Facebook that I have a lump, please go get a mammogram! We can whine on for ages about our children’s medical problems. We make announcements and call for prayers for our spouses and parents who are ill. We share with our friends and family,

While using social media can be valuable to doctors and nurses, inappropriate use of these tools can be devastating to a health professional career. Here are some examples

With the advancement of modern technology, social media is increasingly finding use in healthcare delivery and management. Health professionals including doctors, nurses and therapists have adopted social media to communicate with their patients and for health sensitization. Social media can benefit healthcare delivery in a variety of ways including fostering professional connections, patient and community education and promoting communication with patients and families. On the other hand, use of social media in healthcare exposes patients’ data to breaches and leakages creating confidentiality issues. Misuse of patient data results in serious career penalties for negligent medical professionals. Protocols have been established to oversee the use of social medial by health practitioners. The paper seeks to explore the recognized rules that regulate the use of social media, and its risks and benefits. Health professionals should utilize benefits of social media while adhering to confidentiality, privacy, and ethical guidelines for private or professional communications with respect to patient data.

Nancy Spector, whom holds a PhD, RN titles from the University of Wisconsin, distinguishes that most patient privacy violations are due to nurses not taking the time to think before posting and inadvertently putting the patient’s info out for persons not admitted to see it. Spector states “The quick and efficient technology enabling use of social media reduces not only the time it takes to post, but also the time to consider whether the post is appropriate and what ramifications may come from posting inappropriate content.” Nurses should be able to use social media to help further their relationships with patients and co-workers, with the healthy understanding of how to do so wisely.

The health care community has come a long way with introducing technology in such a world that is to remain private. It has opened many doors of convenience for all health care employees. It allows easy access, legible readiness, fingertip readiness and more. Lots of providers and nurses rely on their cell phones and computers when doing patient care, especially at the bedside. You can calculate a quick formula, or look up a new medication and see how it can be added to the plan of care and more. Social media is also used in many ways, especially with advertising. Hospitals, clinics, and many stand alone healthcare facilities advertise through social media for new clientele, new products that they may be offering, or to simply get their business “out there”. But sometimes social media and cell phones can fail us when it is used for reasons other than benefiting the patient. There are laws in place that prohibit healthcare employees from sharing private and personal information that are identifying markers of the patient themselves. Their care and information is to be protected at all times. Here in the scenario a nurse missed a concert of her favorite band. Toward the end of her shift she receives a trauma patient who just so happens to be the lead singer of this band. She in turns takes pictures of him and his home address and other contact info and sends it to her friend who was able to make the show. There are so many things wrong with this scenario. My goal in further

This assignment is to introduce the risks of using social media inappropriately as a student and registered nurse, this could include confidential information or information about another student or colleague. The Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) social media policy and the student code of conduct will be explored; this will gain the information needed to help justify the use of social media as a nurse.

“Perhaps the greatest risk in use of social media in health care is to the patient’s privacy and confidentiality” (Henderson & Dahnke, 2015, p63). Establishing a nurse patient relationship is essential in providing the best

Nurses should be cautiousness when inappropriate sharing of client information is not relevant to client care (Maxwell & Barry, 2010). Nurses must refrain from disclosing any confidential health information about clients on any form of social media (CNA,

The greatest problem with the use of social media in our society is invasion and maintenance of confidentiality and privacy standards. "Nurses have posted on blogs, social network sites, and other forums potentially identifying information about patients, including derogatory remarks, photographs, and details about patient care. However, nurses have the duty to protect patient privacy and to "maintain confidentiality of all patient information” (Henderson & Dahnke, 2015). We are taught in nursing school that patient safety is always a top priority. Therefore, in order for a patient safety and privacy to be free from any harm, nurses need to keep in mind the patient’s wellbeing while using social media. The ethical terms used in nursing most often involve non maleficent and integrity. Non