April 14, 2003 is when athletic healthcare entities had to be fully in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). There were a flood of news articles, press releases and discussion in the athletic healthcare community surrounding the impact of HIPAA on disclosure of athletic injuries.
Pre-HIPAA, it was common practice for an athlete/patients' injury to be discussed openly during a contest, post-game press conference or newspaper article. It seemed there was no assumption of privacy when it related to an athlete's injury. Every fan had a front-row seat and play-by-play updates on key players' injuries. Unlike the privacy accorded to their private patients, even seasoned physicians and other healthcare providers who worked within the athletic healthcare facilities of many campuses could be found discussing their athletic patient's condition(s) with folks who had no real need to know about an injury or illness.
Fast forward to 2010 and the use of social media. Now the healthcare privacy requirements are complicated with the proliferation of mobile phones that can also take photos and videos and post them to YouTube or any social media site. Add to this the friend requests received from patients. The topic has even made USA Today.
This topic that has garnered discussion in other healthcare professions. An article in the Spring 2010 issue of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing newsletter Leader to Leader addressed the difficulty of boundary issues and the importance of educating nursing students about boundary violations and the internet.
Do you have policies in place to protect your patients? How have you been able to determine compliance with these policies?
Patient Privacy in the Age of "Social Media"
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