Prepare a 2-page interprofessional staff update on HIPAA and appropriate social media use in health care.
As you begin to consider the assessment, it would be an excellent choice to complete the Breach of Protected
Health Information (PHI) activity. The will support your success with the assessment by creating the opportunity
for you to test your knowledge of potential privacy, security, and confidentiality violations of protected health
information. The activity is not graded and counts towards course engagement.
Health professionals today are increasingly accountable for the use of protected health information (PHI).

Meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR).
Provision of EHR incentive programs through Medicare and Medicaid.
Enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules.
Release of educational resources and tools to help providers and hospitals address privacy, security, and
confidentiality risks in their practices.
Technological advances, such as the use of social media platforms and applications for patient progress
tracking and communication, have provided more access to health information and improved communication
between care providers and patients.
At the same time, advances such as these have resulted in more risk for protecting PHI. Nurses typically
receive annual training on protecting patient information in their everyday practice. This training usually
emphasizes privacy, security, and confidentiality best practices such as:
Keeping passwords secure.
Logging out of public computers.
Sharing patient information only with those directly providing care or who have been granted permission to
receive this information.
Today, one of the major risks associated with privacy and confidentiality of patient identity and data relates to
social media. Many nurses and other health care providers place themselves at risk when they use social
media or other electronic communication systems inappropriately. For example, a Texas nurse was recently
terminated for posting patient vaccination information on Facebook. In another case, a New York nurse was
terminated for posting an insensitive emergency department photo on her Instagram account.