A physician with a large social media following can benefit your healthcare facility. Posts and videos about health topics may reach new audiences and bring more attention to your facility.
At the same time, a physician’s social media use can create concerns. A post, video or endorsement can affect how people see your facility. It can also raise questions about patient privacy, employee behavior and your reputation.
Legal risks to consider
A physician’s social media account may be personal, but its content can still affect your facility. Common areas of concern include:
- Sharing stories or images that could reveal patient details
- Recording videos in treatment areas or other private spaces
- Posting opinions that readers may connect to your facility
- Promoting products or services through sponsored posts
- Creating content during work hours instead of performing job duties
- Publishing posts that affect patient trust in your facility
These situations do not automatically create liability for your facility. However, they can raise questions about privacy, workplace rules, advertising and your reputation.
Managing social media concerns
Healthcare facilities have paid more attention to physician social media use in recent years. If one of your physicians develops a large online following, you may want to pay attention to:
- Whether a physician’s posts may be seen as speaking for the facility
- The use of facility names, logos and property in online content
- Expectations for photos and videos recorded at work
- References to patients and patient care areas in social media posts
- How sponsored posts fit within workplace policies
These issues matter because a physician’s personal account can shape how people view your facility. In some cases, patients may view a physician’s online content as reflecting the facility.
Looking ahead
Physicians can reach thousands of people with a single post. Online content can spread in minutes and reach people far beyond your area. Questions about social media use will likely grow as more physicians build large online followings.
A physician’s online activity can create opportunities for your facility, but it can also create risks that reach beyond one person’s account. For many healthcare facilities, social media now affects patient privacy, public trust and reputation.
