Running Head: SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE

Social Media in Healthcare Sarah Thomasson Auburn University School of Nursing

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE Abstract

In todays society social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, is all around us including in the health care industry. Numerous hospitals and health care providers are developing a presence online in order to reach out to new audiences. Social media offers numerous benefits such as receiving feedback from patients, building positive relationships in the community, recruiting new employees, and rapidly communicating with consumers. Consumers are also wreaking the benefits by using social media to find the best services, receive advice, and connect with healthcare providers. However, use of these online sites is also associated with a number of risks. Social media can pose a threat to patient privacy and confidentiality as well as an organizations reputation. Social media can portray a false sense of privacy, leading to violations of its use. Moreover, with the ability to communicate swiftly comes the ability of private information to be disseminated quickly to a wide audience. In order to use social media to its fullest potential in the health care system, strict rules and regulations that will decrease these risks must be carefully thought out and implemented. This paper aims to weigh the benefits and risk of the developing use of social media in the health care industry and to outline specific guidelines for the appropriate employment of this new tool.

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE Social Media in Healthcare Introduction

In todays society the use of social media in the healthcare industry is growing rapidly as its numerous benefits become more apparent to both providers and consumers. Social media consist of online platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, which offer a means of communication and information exchange. One study found that sixty percent of doctors say social media improves the quality of care delivered to patients. Another study found one-third of consumers are using social media for health related matters such as researching symptoms and rating primary care physicians, clinics, or treatments (Mewborn, 2013). Social media provides a high-speed stream of information as well as a means for feedback and conversation. However, the use of online databases also allows for potential risk including confidentiality issues and ethical dilemmas (Ferguson, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to weigh the benefits and risk the healthcare industrys use of social media in a society that is relying increasingly more on its use and to explore ways in which healthcare organizations can implement proper guidelines for effective practice. Perceived Benefits Unlike any other generation, today we have the power to acquire information instantaneously, as well as a voice that can be heard globally. With this in mind, social media has the power to greatly enhance the healthcare industry if it is used to its full potential. Since a growing number of families are using social media as their primary source for wellness information and health advice, sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube can be used as a valuable resource for educating these consumers. One

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study found 96 percent of all Australians look up their symptoms online before seeking the opinion of a health care professional (Anderson, 2012). Websites such as Consumer Reports Health (www.consumerreports.org) and Hospital Safety Score (www.Hopspitalssafetyscore.org) have become more popular, offering unbiased ratings of hospitals and other facilities. These ratings are based on different outcomes measures such as cleanliness, pain control, infection rates, and even the effectiveness of staff communication. This wealth of information allows consumers the opportunity to look at all their options for their healthcare experience and pick the one that best suits their needs, rather than simply choosing a hospital because of its close location or size (Weaver, Lindsay, & Gitelman, 2012). With 90 percent of students engaged on Facebook and over 50 percent of adults using some type of social site, social media can act as a resourceful tool for public relations and recruitment for an organization (Ferguson, 2013). The ability to reach out to broader audiences through social media allows organizations to demonstrate to potential employees and consumers the culture of their company and the extent to which they are willing to go to provide quality care (Anderson, 2012). Through the use of social media, hospitals are able to provide virtual tours, links to job openings, updates on accomplished goals, new research on the best health practices, and innovative technology being used (Sarringhaus, 2011). This offers educational material for the public while building relations that encourage a positive connection with the community. In addition, organizations are now able investigate incoming applicants presence on social media in order to determine the potential employees judgment and responsibility concerning online materials. Rather than hiring an employee only to discover he or she

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE

has poor judgment, employers can now examine an applicants current social media use thoroughly and determine their ability to make sound decisions (Sarringhaus, 2011). Social media platforms can be also an excellent tool for prompt communication with the public, whether for quick patient feedback or in times of crisis (Anderson, 2012). The ability to communicate with the push of a button can save time in spreading necessary information to a larger number of people. This is especially important in times of natural disaster or crisis (Weaver et al., 2012). In addition, a health care organizations presence on social media allows patients to provide feedback on their personal experience and suggestions for further improvement (Mewborn, 2013). Whether used to educate, provide feedback, or as a recruitment tool, social media can save time, effort, and money, as well as improve outcome results by facilitating patients to become more knowledgeable partners in their care (Weaver et al., 2012). Perceived Risks While the use of social media sites brings a multitude of benefits to the healthcare industry, it also encompasses the potential for misuse. Maintaining patient confidentiality and ethical practice is considered one of the biggest risks associated with social media use. Although todays technology makes sharing information quick and easy, this can actually be a disadvantage since it gives individuals less time to consider the consequences of a post that breaks patient confidentiality or other employer policies. Likewise, some nurses can be under the impression that information posted is private, while they fail to realize once posted that information can be shared with others and become no longer under the nurses control. Inadvertent breaches of patient privacy have the potential to not only cause distress to the patient, but they also could

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE

lead to removal of the nurses license or criminal penalties. Patients are entitled to a nurse who will act in their best interest and breaking the patients trust may damage the nurse-patient relationship (Spector & Kappel, 2012). While patient privacy is normally the chief concern with social media use in the workplace, other issues can also arise. Employers may be concerned distractions, such as social media use, may decrease efficiency and productivity in the workplace. However, one must consider that some employees will always find a means of distraction from work, whether that is social media use or the latest magazine, while other employees may benefit from social media use and even see an increase in efficiency. Yet another complication of social media use includes the impact of social media on the overall corporate reputation. As previously discussed, social media can play an important role in positive public relations for an organization, but it can also cause damage to that reputation. One study that evaluated the social media account of medical students found that 70% of these sites included crude language or pictures containing alcohol (Barry & Hardiker, 2012). While it would be a stretch to tell employees what they are allowed to post about their private lifestyles, employee actions outside of work do reflect on the organization and therefore pose a risk to their reputation. In addition to the risk of healthcare providers use of social media, it should be noted that consumers also pose a risk towards the hospitals reputation through the use of online forms. With the potential for consumers to connect and communicate with health care facilities and provide feedback, there is also opportunity for unpleasant comments, whether true or slander, which can tarnish a facilities reputation. In these

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE

situations it is best to promote communication and show a commitment to solving any problems rather than ignoring the criticism (Sarringhaus, 2011). Guidelines for Effective Practice After weighing the risk and benefits of implementing social media in health care, it is important to set certain rules or guidelines to lead staff in its proper use. Since the use of social media is relatively new, some states have not implemented specific laws to address a nurses inappropriate use of social media. This does not mean that these jurisdictions do not investigate complaints of inappropriate social media use, but may instead choose to investigate on the grounds of unprofessional conduct or mismanagement of patient records. The most common complaints against nurses include breaches of privacy, failure to report others violations, and lateral violence against colleagues. In order for these mistakes to be avoided, nursing organizations are beginning to develop guidelines in the hopes that social media will be able to be used to its fullest potential. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing has posted guidelines including the following: Nurses must be aware of their duty to maintain patient privacy and confidentiality; Nurses are not permitted to send any patient information that can be a violation of patient rights, including demeaning or embarrassing content; Any information gained through the nurse patient relationship is not to be shared unless there is a patient care related need; Nurses may not post patient names or anything that may lead to the identification of the patient; Nurses must report any breech of confidentiality or privacy to the appropriate leader; Nurses must not make disapproving remarks about employers or coworkers (Spector & Kappel, 2012). Managers must declare formal policies concerning social media use and must enforce

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE

these policies, keeping in mind that guidelines are most effective if healthcare workers have support in their implementation for everyday practice (Barry & Hardiker, 2012). Conclusion While it may seem that implementing social media in healthcare requires a good amount of effort, it is well worth the labor when you consider the many benefits such as quick patient feedback, positive public relations, and inexpensive recruiting. However, there are risks associated with implementing social media in the workforce such as breaches of patient confidentiality and privacy, which may damage the nurse-patient relationship and decrease trust in the nursing profession. Specific guidelines must be implemented in order to insure that social media is used to its fullest potential with the smallest risk. From my research I have discovered that there is still an urgent need for research regarding evidence-based practice and the true impact of social media in nursing practice. While any articles exist on the benefits and risk of social media use, there are very few articles with statistical analysis of its use. This type of study could encourage further implementation of social media in the medical field and display its role as an invaluable tool to healthcare organizations, while also identifying ways to minimize negative risks.

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE References

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