In this webinar, we outline exactly how to protect your business by managing how your employees use social media as healthcare providers. You’ll get concrete examples of how to create effective policies surrounding uses of phones and social media around the office, as well as real life examples of HIPAA breaches that have occurred as a result of improper social media usage.

1. HIPAA Compliant
Social Media for
Professionals
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7. List at least three ways
to market on social media
without violating HIPAA
7

8. Name at least two things to cover
when training your staff or
employees in the use of HIPAA
compliant strategies to use social
media
8

9. Identify at least four factors
related to best practices for
answering, addressing, and
interacting with patients on social
media
9

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Meet Your Expert
Recognized Leader of
Compliance & Security
• Top emerging technology
• CRN
• Security & Compliancy
Visionary
• Channel Pro
• Top Compliance Tools
• HIPAA Journal
Endorsed by:
40 medical associations and
technology providers
• Hosting Services
• EHR’S & Medical Applications
• IT & Security
PERC, Vision Trends, First Eye
Care, iMatrix, Ocuco, Coherent Eye
& Eyetopia
CompTIA Channel Advisory Board – Co Chair
CompTIA Business Applications Advisory Council - Chair
Endorsed Partner
Marc Haskelson
Compliancy Group, CEO
Marc@compliancygroup.com

11. Why has HIPAA become such a big issue for
online reputation management in social media?

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Carrot vs. Stick
• Who really controls your brand
• What Clients/Patients think about you
• What Clients/Patients think about HIPAA
• Clients/Patients can, and some will report you
(you cannot retaliate)
• What you need to know
12
HIPAA and Online Reputation
Management

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• 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as
personal recommendations
• Yelp’s top 5 most reviewed provider categories:
• Optometrists, Dentists, Doctors, Chiropractors,
Acupunturists
13
Who Really Controls Your Brand?

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• U.S. News & World Report: patients surveyed
• 30% search the web for a doctor
• 33% review you online
• 55% are only happy with some of
their doctors (looking for new
provider?)
14
Reviews Are Important

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How Social Media and HIPAA Can Help
Your Practice
• Acquire new Patients
• Retain your current Patients
• Your patients worry about compliance
• Patient hear about HIPAA violations
in the news

16. Why has the use of social media
become an issue in healthcare?

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Grow Your Practice With HIPAA
• 61% most Patients check online reviews
before selecting a doctor
• Gain more patients by being HIPAA compliant
• HIPAA = 17% increase in patients
61% Before selecting a doctor
20% To evaluate current doctor
19% After selecting a doctor

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Are you confident your
healthcare providers protect
your medical records?
18
How Do Clients/Patients Feel About
Their Providers and HIPAA?
68%
Did your providers’ negligence
cause or contribute to identity
theft?
53%
Not confident
Yes, they caused or
contributed to it
http://medidfraud.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2014_Medical_ID_Theft_Study1.pdf

19. What are some of the most easily avoidable errors
that have been reviewed and fined by the Office for
Civil Rights?

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Easily Avoidable HIPAA Fines
• Patient testimonials - $25,000
• Physical Therapy – posted testimonials on website
without permission, failure to have updated policy and
procedures
• Press release - $2,400,000
• Publish press release including PHI without
authorization, failure to have policy and procedures

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Easily Avoidable HIPAA Fines
• Unauthorized Filming - $2,200,000
• 2 Patients filmed during a TV Show (NY Med) without
authorization
• Late breach notification - $475,000
• Did not notify OCR/patients within (60) days
• Failure to have policy and procedures

22. What are some specific things to consider when
using online reviews from Clients/ Patients?

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Online Reviews
are Important
But…
23
• Practices have the obligation to protect client/patient
information
• Just because a client/patient posts a review does not
give an organization the right to release patient
specific information

24. What is PHI and why is it important?

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• Names
• Geographic subdivisions smaller than state (address, city
county, zip)
• All elements of DATES (except year) including DOB,
admission, discharge, death, ages over 89, dates indicative of
age
• Telephone, fax, SSN#s, VIN, license plate #s
• Med record #, account #, health plan beneficiary #
PHI – You Must Remove All 18 Identifiers:

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PHI – You Must Remove All 18 Identifiers:
• Certificate/license #s
• Email address, IP address, URLs
• Biometric identifiers, including finger & voice prints
• Device identifiers and serial numbers
• Full face photographic and comparable images
• Any other unique identifying #, characteristic, or code

27. When does HIPAA allow you to share PHI
with business associates?

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Social Media
HIPAA “Do’s”
28
• Google Your Name and Practice Name
• Use incognito mode
• Review your website
• Consider social media technology or experts

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HIPAA Social
Media Do’s to
Increase
Engagement
29
• Thank Clients/Patients for feedback
• Keep your responses anonymous
• Take complaints offline – please call the office
• Focus on the positive
• Have written consent if you use a Client/Patient
testimonial - but be aware of potential ethical violations
when doing so

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Social Media
HIPAA
Compliant “Do
Not’s”
30
• Do not email/text a patient without consent
• Do not alter content
• Do not repeat or use PHI
• Do not reply or post information that confirms the
identity of a patient
• Do not respond to patients sharing of a diagnosis or
service

31. Question:
What about internal policies? Are clinicians mandated
to define and follow internal policies related to HIPAA
and social media?

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Be HIPAA
Compliant
32
• Understand the Privacy, Security and Breach
Notification rules
• Update policies and procedures annually
• Train employees on annually
• Report all breaches:
• Minor breach (less than 500 people)
• Major breach (more than 500 people}
• Carefully oversee third-party marketing firms to
handle marketing  make sure you approve their
messages

33. Question:
What are at least four best practices to
consider when answering, addressing and
interacting with Clients/Patients on social
media?

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Best Practices
34
• Train and Educate your staff
• Appropriate - No Sex, Religion or Politics
• No patient or treatment information
• Never argue online
• Take it offline
• Always ask for permission
• Have the correct use and disclosure documentation

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HIPAA – Proof
Strategies to
Market Through
Social Media
35
• Education
• Events
• Product Information
• Free Resources
• Advocacy

36. Question:
Given all the possibilities for trouble, why even
bother with social media?

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HIPAA & Social Media is Good for Business
• HIPAA compliance is Legally REQUIRED
• HIPAA = marketing opportunity
• Differentiate yourself from your peers/competitors
• Online & Social Media strategy
• Sales and Marketing materials
HIPAA compliance as a differentiator
Fitbit Inc. - announces its HIPAA compliance, stock price soared (26%)

38. www.CompliancyGroup.com
info@compliancygroup.com
855-85-HIPAA
855-854-4722
Keep in touch! ☺
Marc Haskelson
President & CEO
Marc@compliancygroup.com