Social Media and the Modern Impact of Informatics

Social Media and the Modern Impact of Informatics

Social Media and the Modern Impact of Informatics

The term “social media” is a broad term that is evolving rather constantly. Usually when
one hears the term social media, one usually thinks of sites such as Facebook or Twitter, which is
not wrong, however this term includes more than just websites that allow each other to comment
back and forth. Social media “generally refers to Internet-based tools that allow individuals and
communities to gather and communicate; to share information, ideas, personal messages, images,
and other content; and, in some cases, to collaborate with other users in real time. Social media
are also referred to as “Web 2.0” or “social networking.”” (Ventola, 2014). More people have
started to participate in social media over the past ten years. “In the U.S., the proportion of adults
using social media has increased from 8% to 72% since 2005” (Ventola, 2014). Usually people
use social media to communicate with one another instantly, however some users use social
media in a rather inappropriate way. In this essay, social media will be discussed along with the
modern impact it has on informatics and the relationship between accreditation decisions,
reimbursement, quality of care, and informatics.

Hospital Policy on Smartphone and Social Media Usage

“Social media pose many risks for health care organizations that could potentially affect
the safety and security of patient information, patient consent, employment practices, physician
credentialing and licensure, the violation of HCP–patient boundaries, and other ethical issues”
(Ventola, 2014). Patient privacy is a large part of providing patient care to all patients. Ensuring
that their privacy is maintained is the ethical and legal thing to do. When writing a policy
addressing smartphone and social media use, this should be included. The policy would state that
no patient information is to be shared via social media or otherwise to persons whom are not
directly caring for the patient. Taking pictures of the patient, his or her family, and his or her

Running Head: MODERN IMPACT OF INFORMATICS 3
patient information is prohibited. Because staff may be tempted to use his or her phone at any
given moment, staff should not have phone present with them while administering care to the
patients. Staff’s phone should only be used on their lunch breaks which are taken away from the
unit the employees works on. All cell phones should be with the rest of the staff’s belongings that
are locked up in staff’s locker area. If staff member should be expecting a phone call due to
family issues or something of the sort, the staff member should give his or her family member
the direct number to the unit in which he or she works on. The staff member should also inform
the nurse manager/supervisor of possible phone calls from family. Additionally, the policy needs
to require that should a staff member not follow the policy and continues to use his or her phone,
it needs to be reported to the nurse manager/supervisor. The policy needs to state disciplinary
action that will be taken should the policy not be followed. “A health care organization may also
consider establishing policies that involve disciplinary actions in response to employees’ use of
the Internet, cellphones, or tablets during working hours” (Ventola, 2014). The first time the
policy is not followed, the staff member will get a verbal reprimand. The second time the policy
is not followed, the staff member will receive a written reprimand. The third time the policy is
not followed, the staff member will no longer hold a position at this facility.
In the case of the two staff members at the navy hospital, the hospital and those
employees face both ethical and legal liabilities. “An HCP [health care professional] may breach
federal HIPAA/HITECH or state privacy laws in a number of ways when posting information,
comments, photos, or videos concerning a patient to a social networking site. Whether
communicating with or about patients on social media, breaches of patient confidentiality can
result in legal action against an HCP and potentially his or her employer” (Ventola, 2014). The
patients, even though they were infants, had their privacy breached and invaded. Those

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employees posted the patients on their social media without the consent of the patients’ parents.
This is both unethical and illegal. To stick their middle fingers up at t