This webinar provides an overview of core privacy requirements of HIPAA. Then, the subject moves to the social media activities of healthcare practitioners. This webinar provides a brief summary of those basic HIPAA privacy protections then goes into detail on the many ways a health care provider may run afoul of the privacy exceptions via the use of social media. This may occur both when a healthcare practitioner initiates a social media comment and when the practitioner responds to a social media statement. A common pitfall is where current or former patients rate doctors on health care practitioner rating websites.  

How does one respond and not violate the law? Can the doctor’s informed consent or practice policy documentation with the patient cover this and prevent the patient from speaking out on social media about the doctor? This webinar will cover examples of state laws that apply to licensed health care professionals that mandate confidentiality and will further examine how healthcare professionals’ licenses can be suspended or revoked for privacy violations in the course of using social media. Finally, a look at how the employment rules of the healthcare facility may impact the use of social media by the healthcare practitioner.

HIPAA and patient confidentiality for the healthcare professional