Healthcare is one of the few industries that has not adapted to the social media environment. Experts say the healthcare industry is almost 10 years behind current social media. Although many healthcare professionals are for social media, the risk of accountability exists. If healthcare professionals begin to exchange information online they take on the risk of exchanging false information which they would be liable for. One could misinterpret the information and turn it around on the healthcare professional. The use of social media in medical field is significantly hindered by HIPPA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Healthcare professionals could be running the risk of discussing confidential patient information and in doing so violating HIPPA. Although from a business stand point social media in the healthcare field may sound good, in reality it is completely ridiculous. Why would one want to discuss medical information about them self to the public? The article I found relating to this topic was all for social media in the medical field. I for one am totally against the idea. Not to be vulgar but just imagine it from a females standpoint. Would you want to have your gynecologist sharing information with you on Facebook? Just the thought of it is ludicrous. Advertising always promotes greater amounts of business but in the case it’s unacceptable. I don’t think the medical field will ever be involved in social media due to patient confidentiality. I know personally that I wouldn’t want anything relating to a medical visit being posted on social media because it’s private information.
Adam, I think that you really caught a good topic here because Health Care and the internet are two obvious factors in the modern world. Also, I completely agree that with health care professionals and companies doing so it tremendously risks the reliability of HIPPA and the dangers of spreading false information.
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