Tech & Innovation in Healthcare

Consider adding these 7 steps to your compliance plan.

For better or worse, social media is a critical part of operating a successful healthcare organization today. Even though it’s fairly simple to get online and post ad nauseum, self-promotion comes with some risks.

Here’s why: State and federal privacy regulations abound from the HIPAA rules to consumer protections through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Complying with the various laws is important to not only protect your patients’ protected health information (PHI), but also your firm’s bottom line.

Social media is fraught with a plethora of data security issues for healthcare organizations, so you may want to cover the how, what, when, where, and why of how your practice plans to utilize this helpful marketing and patient engagement tool. And because social media needs continual review, audits should be done often to ensure HIPAA compliance with standards.

Review these seven tips on your social media audit checklist:

1. Choose fiscally viable sites. What social media sites are having a positive impact on your practice financials and patient retention? Do these sites safeguard your practice secrets and patients?

2. Review bios and digits. Are the providers’ names and background information correct? Is practice data — including services, specialty, location, email, phone and fax, and portals — correct and updated?

3. Document statistics. Where are you getting the most likes and what is your primary demographic? Why are you generating interest and are popular posts HIPAA-compliant?

4. Compare and contrast with local peers. Are other specialists in your area performing better on social media? What are they doing to increase their viewership? What sites are most popular?

5. Strategize for improvement. Are you safeguarding patients while posting? Is your health IT (username, passwords, network, etc.) protected?

6. Weigh the risks. Is your social media outreach truly advantageous? How are you managing the PHI risks while promoting your practice online?

7. Think about HIPAA privacy and security. Are your patient authorization forms up to date? Are your business associates also protecting your patients’ PHI and keeping HIPAA in mind on their social media?