Question

is it good to post a patient photo on social media? why? or why not?

Answer 1

No. It is not good to post a patient photo on social media.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule considers full-face photographs to be PHI, since they identify individuals. Social media does not fall under the umbrella of Health care operations which permit PHI sharing. You should obtain written permission from patients before posting pictures of them on your social media sites. Beyond facilitating Fully informed consent, the real challenge lies in clarifying what defines a post as unprofessional , which goes beyond the consideration of what is legal.

It's becoming increasingly common to spot clinical images being shared on social media . Patients in operation theatres, newborns in incubators, women in labour ward and even cadavers in Dissection hall are photographed and shared. Many of these images reveal the identity of the patients and are posted for non-professional reasons without their consent. This is an illegal for punishment and deregistration from medical council. Medical students and doctors need to be made aware of legalities and ethics of posting clinical images on social media.

Social media can be extremely powerful tool for communicating general health care information to the public, creating professional connections, and sharing experiences. However, sharing too much information to the social media platforms can have devastating effects on both Health care organisations and employees if patient specific information is shared. With over 800 million people on social networks abd professional blogs, it is not surprising that HIPAA violations are on the rise and are raising major concerns among medical practices. If health care employees were better educated on potentially hazardous mistakes while sharing photos of patient in social media and medical blogs, HIPAA violations could be avoided altogether. Don't violate the confidentiality of the patient by sharing photos on social media.

Thankyou