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No Pictures! We can but Dare WE? Tsi S Qua Robinson Chamberlain College of Nursing NR360: Information Systems in Healthcare September 2019

No Pictures! We can but dare we? Living in the 21st century is a time where technology is always advancing. Social media is an ever-evolving platform to exchange information and communicate with people all over the world. Apps such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and WhatsApp are just a few that are being downloaded all over the world. This paper will focus on how social media in the healthcare setting can cause ethical, professional, and legal problems. As every healthcare professional should know the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a law that was placed in 1996 to protect the privacy of clients who have entered the healthcare setting (Social,2017). With social media this can be a little harder for workers to abide by because they might want to post something about their day that involves a patient. Including any identifying

factors in the post can result in a violation of HIPPA. This can lead to serious repercussions, including fines. This paper will also focus on a scenario where a nurse must care for Jarod, the lead singer of her favorite band and sends pictures of him to her best friend. She is then contacted the next morning by a gossip paper called the Gossip Gazette, where they offer her $20,000 for the photos. She needs a new car and to pay off a few bills but is violating HIPPA worth it?

What is HIPAA? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act also known as HIPAA is a legislation by the United States “that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information” (Biscobing, 2019). HIPAA is a set of standards that prevents the unauthorized access of protected health information., this includes both electronically and on paper. They must also be notified of a security breach. As previously mentioned, the use of cellphones and social media can make this difficult because sharing information has become so easy, with just a push of a button you can share pictures, websites, and thoughts. Maybe you had a long day at work with a specific patient and want to vent about the events that unfolded, however you may leave identifying markers that could lead to a violation of HIPAA. It’s your responsibility has a healthcare worker to stop and think about what you are posting and whom it could affect. Whenever working in the healthcare field, you must always make sure to only give personal information to providers who are in the direct care of the client or who have been given authorization by the client to receive information. When considering this it makes sense that just posting about a client on an outlet that can be seen by many people would violate this legislation. Scenario ending and recommendations

In the scenario given I must consider the consequences of sharing a picture of a celebrity names Jarod who is under my care to a friend. Not only do I take one picture of Jarod but I also take more pictures of him in various stages of undress along with his home address and phone number. The next day I receive a call from a gossip magazine called the Gossip Gazette, offering me $20,000 for the photos. The money would be nice because I need a new car and I’m behind on bills. They say my identity wouldn’t be revealed but is that true? From personal experience I know that there is an electronic log of who has access and who has accessed a patient’s information. Not only do healthcare facilities keep a log of this but if the police obtain a warrant, they can access your phone and see what photos or text messages have been sent and at what time (Law, 2019). If my identity is not anonymous, I could be facing a fine and other repercussions at my workplace for violating HIPAA. Knowing this, I would not share the pictures with the Gossip Gazette because it is not worth losing my job over. I should not have even taken the picture in the first place or sent it because that was the first step in breaking HIPAA and violating my patients privacy. Pros and Cons of Smartphones The use of smartphones in the healthcare setting has allowed for better and quicker information. At UF, where I have clinical, they use smartphones to communicate within the hospital, it allows them to get in touch with other hospital personnel quickly and efficiently. The ease of communication is a major advantage of smartphones but it can also be a disadvantage if used the wrong way. If used correctly hospitals can use smartphones to communicate with staff and give them information through websites, blogs, or even email them quickly (Burkoski, 2019). When information is easy to access it allows patients to be more knowledgeable on their diagnosis, treatment options, and healthcare facilities. Conclusion In conclusion I as a nurse or just a healthcare worker should never violate a

patient’s privacy. This includes sharing any identifying information through social media or even text messages. Violating HIPAA can lead to serious repercussions including fines that can reach a maximum of $1.5 million per calendar year (Woten, 2018). In this scenario the nurse should have never taken a picture of her patient or his personal health information. The ease at which a patient’s privacy can be violated is a disadvantage of smartphone use and social media. However, if used responsibly this convenience can make communicating within the hospital quicker and more efficient.

References Biscobing,, J., & Sutner, S. (2019, February). What is HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) ? - Definition from WhatIs.com. Retrieved from https://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/definition/HIPAA Burkoski, V. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://eds-b-ebscohostcom.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=624cfc4be210-4c97-ae6c-921224d4776a@pdc-v-sessmgr04 Law Enforcement Access. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.eff.org/issues/lawenforcement-access Social Media: Your Role in Resident Confidentiality, Privacy, and HIPAA. (2017, April). Retrieved from https://eds-b-ebscohostcom.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0 HYPERLINK "https://eds-b-ebscohostcom.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=d68fe55555e2-45fd-8893-5fc54876cf87@sessionmgr101"& HYPERLINK "https://eds-bebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=0&sid=d68fe555-55e2-45fd-8893-5fc54876cf87@sessionmgr101"sid=d68fe55555e2-45fd-8893-5fc54876cf87@sessionmgr101

Woten, M. (2018, June 22). Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): an Overview. Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohostcom.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=95bd72a1-7a3a442b-85555409a8a748ce@sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0 ZQ==#AN=T904679&db=nup...