Social Media and Breach of Patient’s Privacy
With rapid increase of technology usage in health care, usage of social media is imperious. This outrages growth of health care industry is a good thing. On the other hand it can be a problem to healthcare facilities if their employees are careless about posting things on social media.
So what exactly is social media? Social Media is the future of communication, a countless array of internet based tools and platforms that increase and enhance the sharing of information. This new form of media makes the transfer of text, photos, audio, video, and information in general increasingly fluid among internet users. Social Media has relevance not only for regular internet users, but business as well. Platforms like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Weblogs and Linkedin have created online communities where people can share as much or as little personal information as they desire with other members. The result is an enormous amount of information that can be easily shared, searched, promoted, disputed, and created. Because it is easy to share, fast and popular, it results to lots of potential problems. It can be a reason to many lawsuits in healthcare industry by violating the people’s privacy.
One of these lawsuits is Doyle BYRNES suing Johnson County Community College’s doctors, Dr. Clarissa Craig in her individual and official capacities; Ms. Jeanne Walsh in her individual and official capacities; Ms. Amber Delphia in her individual and official capacities; Dr. Marilyn Rhinehart in her individual and official capacities; Dr. Dennis Day in his individual and official capacities, Defendants. This case was in District Court of Kansas and hearing was held in January 6, 2011. The case was about a nursing student, Doyle Byrnes, who was expelled from nursing school for violating the student code of conduct by posting a picture of herself on Facebook next to a placenta. Byrnes filed a suit because she had already paid tuition for her courses and she could receive neither credit
So what exactly is social media? Social Media is the future of communication, a countless array of internet based tools and platforms that increase and enhance the sharing of information. This new form of media makes the transfer of text, photos, audio, video, and information in general increasingly fluid among internet users. Social Media has relevance not only for regular internet users, but business as well. Platforms like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Weblogs and Linkedin have created online communities where people can share as much or as little personal information as they desire with other members. The result is an enormous amount of information that can be easily shared, searched, promoted, disputed, and created. Because it is easy to share, fast and popular, it results to lots of potential problems. It can be a reason to many lawsuits in healthcare industry by violating the people’s privacy.
One of these lawsuits is Doyle BYRNES suing Johnson County Community College’s doctors, Dr. Clarissa Craig in her individual and official capacities; Ms. Jeanne Walsh in her individual and official capacities; Ms. Amber Delphia in her individual and official capacities; Dr. Marilyn Rhinehart in her individual and official capacities; Dr. Dennis Day in his individual and official capacities, Defendants. This case was in District Court of Kansas and hearing was held in January 6, 2011. The case was about a nursing student, Doyle Byrnes, who was expelled from nursing school for violating the student code of conduct by posting a picture of herself on Facebook next to a placenta. Byrnes filed a suit because she had already paid tuition for her courses and she could receive neither credit
References: Byrnes v. Johnson County Community College, Slip Copy, 2011 WL 166715 (United States District Court, Jan 19, 2011). Yoder v. University of Louisville, 417 Fed.Appx. 529 (United States Court of Appeals,Sixth Circuit. April 8, 2011). Ballow, B., & Melnik, T. (2011, May 18-19). Social Media, Healthcare and the Law Developing A Social Media Policy. Retrieved from Wiring Michigan for Health Information Exchange: http://ihcs.msu.edu/HIT/Presentations/Social_Media_and_Healthcare.pdf Clinic, The Cleveland. (1995-2012). Social Media Policy. Retrieved from Cleveland Clinic: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/about-cleveland-clinic/about-this-website/social-media-policy.aspx Rosenfeld, J. (2009, MAY 27). Invasion Of Privacy; Two Kentucky Nursing Homes Cited After Employees Use Cellular Phones To Take Photos Of Residents. Retrieved from Nursing Homes Abuse Blog: http://www.nursinghomesabuseblog.com/nursing-home-abuse/invasion-of-privacy-two-kentucky-nursing-homes-cited-after-employees-use-cellular-phones-to-take-photos-of-residents/ http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/media/downloads/socialmediapolicy_091609.pdf Rosenfeld, J. (2012, March 9). Jail Time For CNA Who Posted Photos Of Nursing Home Patients On Facebook. Retrieved from Nursing Home Abuse Blog: http://www.nursinghomesabuseblog.com/nursing-home-staff/jail-time-for-cna-who-posted-photos-of-nursing-home-patients-on-facebook/ The Ohio State Univerisity Medical Center. (2012). The Ohio State University Medical Center Social Media Participation Policy. Retrieved from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/27663931/Ohio-State-University-Medical-Center-Social-Media-Participation-Policy