Ankita Patel writes:
Long gone are the days when social media consisted solely of Myspace and Facebook, accessible only by logging in through a desktop computer at home or personal laptop. With every single social media platform readily available on personal cellular devices, HIPAA violations through social media outlets are becoming a frequent problem for healthcare providers and individual employees alike. In fact, social media platforms like Snapchat® and Instagram® that offer users the opportunity to post “stories” or send their friends temporary “snaps” seem to be a large vehicle for HIPAA violations, specifically amongst the millennial generation.
[…]
With just a few taps and swipes, an employee can post a seemingly innocuous disclosure of PHI. Interns and residents of the younger generation may innocently upload a short-term post (be it a picture for two-seconds or an eight-second long video) of a busy hospital room or even an innocent “selfie” without realizing that there is visible and identifiable PHI in the corner. Two major categories of HIPAA violations have become apparent to me in relation to Snapchat and Instagram Stories and HIPAA: (1) The innocent poster, as described above, who does not realize there is PHI in their post; or (2) The poster who knows that their picture or video could constitute a HIPAA violation, but posts it anyway because they think it’s “temporary”.
Read more on Fox Rothschild HIPAA & Health Information Technology.