3 NEW Shocking Social Media HIPAA Violations

A little over one year ago, we created a video where I explained 7 real-world social media HIPAA violations. If you haven’t seen that video yet, you should...only after you’ve watched this one.
It would be great if those 7 stories that I shared previously were where social media HIPAA violations ended, but that’s just not the case. We live in such a connected world that healthcare professionals and employees at business associates can’t help but share content on social media channels. Unfortunately, what some of them don’t realize is that what they shared has a high chance of violating HIPAA.
LINKS:
____________________________________________
etactics.com/blog/social-medi...
____________________________________________
HIPAA laws and social media might as well be mortal enemies. They don’t mix well and can lead to some serious consequences. A simple picture could lead to thousands of dollars in fines, losing your job, or worse...jail time.
The first new shocking social media HIPAA violation occured in March of 2021 involving Instagram. In this story, a group of resident doctors took pictures of patients while they were being operated on. The pictures showcased body parts being removed from patients and the doctors posted the images on Instagram.
So how is this a HIPAA violation? There are actually a few reasons. The first reason is that the doctors did not obtain authorization. In other words, because they didn’t get consent, they violated the HIPAA Privacy law.
The second reason this is a HIPAA violation is because of identifiable information. In some pictures, the patients were still on the operating table and the procedure was still in progress. Someone could have identified one of the patients for a number of reasons, including faces, tattoos, scars, or other unique features. For this reason, the HIPAA Security Rule was violated.
The second story I have for you occurred in October of 2020 at another well-known facility. Basically, a picture was posted online showing some surgeons performing an operation while wearing racing helmets. The pictures’ captions included the hashtag “wear your helmet to work”. There was no identifiable information in the pictures, but the facility is taking actions since the situation violates internal policies.
The last new social media HIPAA violation I have for you occurred in June of 2021. Ironically enough, the violation took place on one of the newest, most popular social media platforms...TikTok. A nurse at a well-known hospital posted videos on her TikTok involving jokes about mistreating patients. These videos were taken in several locations throughout the location she worked at including the hospital’s break room, front desk, and offices. The scenarios that the nurse “joked” about patient abuse included switching out prescriptions and drugging patients with more anesthesia medication to keep them asleep for longer periods of time. Upon realization, the hospital immediately suspended the nurse. Although what she shared didn’t contain any PHI and wasn’t technically a HIPAA violation, her actions serve as an example of why social media policies should be in place at a healthcare organization.
These stories are lessons for all of us, even if we don’t work in the healthcare industry. If you make videos at work, there is a good chance your employer won’t be happy with you. If you do or say something that shows a lack of judgment, you may lose your job. Of course, this is especially true with healthcare and HIPAA. Stay away from social media and the internet when working in healthcare, unless you have a strict policy in place or a marketing department that knows how to navigate the law properly.

[@GH-sp9nx]

I’m here because I just saw a ad of my medication on my RUclips feed. How does RUclips know what medications I take?! It would seem like a violation on RUclips ‘s part.

[@imlatinoguy]

what if you don't show faces or tattoos? Like if you take a picture of your office but someone sitting in tbe corner and maybe you can see their foot or something.

[@veromarigarcia]

What happened to the doctors in the first story?