Ethical Issues Related To Social Media
ANSWERS
Researchers, clinicians, and other healthcare organizations are becoming more interested in social media due to rising social media usage and its impact on personal healthcare. However, there are risks involved. Patients frequently disclose much about themselves and their healthcare experiences on social media, and doctors may also suffer negative effects from mistakenly disclosing private and sensitive information about patients. Lack of comprehension and knowledge of the nuances of using social media can harm both patients and healthcare professionals.
Of course, not all aspects of social networking are bad. Patients and healthcare workers can use social media platforms as on-the-go learning tools. It can help spread knowledge, encourage good health, offer peer support, and add a completely new level of community and learning to the field of medicine. However, when used carelessly, it can harm patients and medical staff.
As more healthcare providers use social media, ethical concerns around social media and healthcare are complex and multi-layered. We wish to examine these three ethical concerns from the viewpoints of the law, the evolving data protection landscape, and potential use in litigation.
Using social media, patients and doctors can communicate.
Since the information transmitted is anticipated to be securely stored in the patient record, confidentiality, trust, and privacy significantly define the relationship between the doctor and the patient. As it relates to confidentiality, illegal access, and privacy hazards, numerous guidelines explaining patient-doctor communications via email and web-based forms are required. They need to be updated regularly.
The privacy policies for each social media network are protected, so healthcare practitioners must be aware of them and cautious when using them. This makes it easier for them to distinguish between their personal and professional life and prevents their patients from seeing it. Additionally, digitally monitoring a patient’s conduct puts the doctor-patient relationship’s trust and confidentiality in jeopardy.
To navigate the online environment ethically, doctors must exercise caution and good judgment when upholding the appropriate level of professional relationships and confidentiality. Other forms of electronic communication could be useful, but they shouldn’t take the place of in-person meetings. Without the context of body language from face-to-face interaction, the ambiguity of written language can cause problems down the road and leave a paper trail.
Health records kept electronically and social media (EHRs)
The confidentiality of the data exchanged is rooted in the very foundation of the patient-physician interaction. The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act states that this is both a moral and a legal requirement (HIPAA.)
Health organizations and providers must understand the collection and security of the data generated by social media in clinical settings as a source of health information. Additionally, patients will need to be informed and educated about what information is and is not protected as personal health information. When communicating with healthcare providers online, patients must be taught how to use social media platforms transparently and clearly, and healthcare providers must also complete specialized training on the subject.
Ethics should be at the forefront of creating and developing this vital forum for communication between patients and healthcare professionals regarding social media and healthcare.
Technology, healthcare, and social media together form an enticing triangle with endless potential. However, the most important issues to focus on should be the ethical issues surrounding data privacy and the proper education of patients, users, doctors, and healthcare professionals.
As a society, we have been seduced by the speed and convenience technology can provide us. Still, as a new decade begins, we realize how much of our privacy has been taken for granted. The line separating our privacy from what we choose to make public about our lives will be the subject of many of our legal, cultural, and social discussions over the next ten years.
QUESTION
Ethical Issues Related To Social Media
Discuss at least two potential ethical issues that could be of concern with nursing use of social media.