This document outlines Akron Children's Hospital's social media policy. It discusses why the hospital uses social media for goals like marketing, education, and philanthropy. It also explains why a policy is needed to ensure appropriate use and avoid unintended consequences like violating patient privacy. The document provides examples of social media issues at other hospitals and concludes with questions to test understanding of the new policy, emphasizing the importance of protecting patients, maintaining job performance and boundaries, and pausing before posting.

1. What you need to know about social
media and our new policy

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Why do we invest in social media?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEp0e69b4Ag&feature=plcp

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Our social media goals
• Marketing
• Recruitment
• Brand Management
• Consumer, Patient &
Professional Education
• Community Creation
• Wellness
• Philanthropy
• Professional Collaboration
• Reputation Management/
Customer Relations

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Where do we do it?

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Why do we need a policy?
Community members, employees and
management may not share a common
definition of appropriate content. By developing
a social media policy, we can ensure everyone
plays by the same rules, and that brand
ambassadors have a clear understanding of
what constitutes appropriate use.

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Unintended outcomes
We may not grasp social media’s ability
to publish comments far and wide
• One incorrect or flippant remark can become
indelible, reaching audiences who lack the ability
to read facial expressions or hear intonation.
• Readers of your post may not be able to discern
something said in jest from something said in
earnest.

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HIPAA
• Even acts of kindness can have
complicated and unanticipated outcomes.
• Improper descriptions or discussions of a
patient case on social media sites could violate a
patient’s privacy, even if no patient names are used.
• HIPAA rules list 18 categories of identifying information
that must be stripped from a medical record or patient
story in order for it to be considered de-identified.

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Case example
Westerly Hospital - Rhode Island
• A 48-year-old ER doctor “inappropriately communicated
a few of her clinical experiences” on her Facebook page.
• Dr. Thran did not reveal patient names but the nature of
one person’s injury was such that the patient was
identified by unauthorized third parties.
• Westerly Hospital fired Dr. Thran.
• The Rhode Island medical licensing board fined Dr.
Thran $500 after finding her guilty of “unprofessional
conduct.”

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Other examples
• A radiology employee posts pictures
of a man being treated for fatal knife
wounds.
• A doctor treats a patient over Twitter.
• A clinician asks a patient out on a date after seeing her
profile on a social media site.
• While a hospital employee is vacationing in Grand
Cayman, a patient’s family contacts HR regarding pictures
they’ve seen of this employee on Facebook “exhibiting
drunken behavior.”

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Key takeaways about the policy
• Protect the patient
• Uphold job performance
• Respect the brand
• Respect sensitive information
• Respect others
• Pause before you post
• Maintain appropriate boundaries
Once you understand the policy, engage!

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Test your social media knowledge
Question 1
I have several Facebook friends who are the
parents of my patients. Is this ok, or based on
the new policy, should I let them know that I
need to “unfriend” them?

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Answer
The policy discourages but does not prohibit
“friending” patient families. Consider it like this:
Being a friend on social media with a patient or
their family is extending a relationship beyond
the clinic and is equivalent to inviting them into
your home.
Additional thoughts to consider…

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Think for a moment about what
you share on social media
• Your personal likes and dislikes
• Information about places you’ve been and what
you’ve done
• Insights into your political and religious views
• Major life experiences
• Photos – do you want your patient or their family
to see 20+ year old photos that your college
roommates thought were funny to share?

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Question 2
Is it ok for my staff to access social media sites if
they have down time when things are slow in my
department?

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Answer
Don’t spend time on social media sites during
work time, unless specifically authorized to do so
as part of your job.
It’s ok to engage during break times, but don’t
allow participation to negatively impact your job
performance or the way you interact with
patients or hospital visitors.

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Question 3
Oftentimes parents want to take a picture of our
staff with their child when they are going home
after a long hospital stay. Is this ok?

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Answer
It depends. If they just want to take a photo of you posing
with the patient, then it should be ok as long as it doesn’t
violate these rules in our Photography/Videography
policy (admin policy #1078):
“Personal photography/videography shall be defined as
images taken by parents/legal guardians. These images
must be of their child and/or family, with care to ensure
that these images do not include other patients or
families unless permission is individually granted.
Capturing images or recordings of medical procedures or
employees performing procedures is not permitted.”

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Question 4
If an employee tells me that a co-worker is
saying negative things about me (her manager)
and/or the work environment, should I confront
her? How should I handle it?

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Answer
This isn’t that uncommon. Often, another
employee or a patient’s family reports
inappropriate staff behavior to HR, the webmaster
or the compliance officer. When you hear of this,
you should contact HR to discuss the situation.
Employees should remember that once they
identify themselves as an employee of Akron
Children’s, the public may interpret that you are
speaking on behalf of the organization.

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Question 5
A parent posts on Children’s Facebook wall,
“My child is cancer-free thanks to Akron
Children’s Hospital!”
Can I respond to her comment?

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Answer
Yes, as long as you keep the comment simple. For instance,
it’s ok to comment:
“Congratulations!” or “We’re so happy she’s doing well.”
It’s not ok to comment:
“That’s great news. See you in the Hem/Onc clinic next week.”
Even in a situation where the parent or patient self-identifies
first, there is no consent to unlimited public discussion of the
patient’s condition.

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Social Media Use Policy Committee
Audrey Warnock Compliance & Privacy Officer
Andrea Joliet Director, Corporate
Communications
Brian Kuner Director of Infrastructure
Mary Link Vice President & General Counsel
Betty Lucci Director, Human Resources
Annetta Provens Employee Relations Manager
Walt Schwoeble Vice President, Human Resources
Beth Smith Vice President, Marketing & Public
Relations

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The bottom line is…
Think Before You Post!