Prepare a 2 page interprofessional staff update on HIPAA and appropriate social media use in health care.
First, select one of the health care settings described in the following resource:
• Assessment 02 Supplement: Protected Health Information [PDF]Download Assessment 02 Supplement: Protected Health Information [PDF]
• Assessment 02 – Protected Health Information
For this assessment, you will prepare a two-page interprofessional staff update on HIPAA and appropriate social media use in health care. Before you complete the detailed instructions in the courseroom, first select one of the settings below that will become the focus of your interprofessional staff update.
After you have selected one of the two settings below, return to the courseroom to review the assessment instructions and grading rubric prior to completing your assessment.
• Palliative and Hospice Care Settings:
o Context: Palliative and hospice care settings focus on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illnesses. The goal is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family. These settings can be in a patient’s home,a hospice facility, or a hospital. Given the emotionally charged nature of end-of-life care, the relationships between healthcare providers, patients, and families are deeply personal and sensitive.
o Social Media Concern: Sharing emotional moments, patient stories, or even reflections on end-of-life care can inadvertently disclose private patient and family details. Given the vulnerability of this patient population, any breach of information can be particularly distressing for families.
• Intensive Care Units (ICUs):
o Context: ICUs are specialized hospital departments that provide critical care to patients with severe or life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Patients in ICUs often require close monitoring and advanced medical equipment. The nature of care in ICUs is intense, with patients often at a high risk and in unstable conditions. Families are deeply involved, and emotions run high.
o Social Media Concern: Given the critical state of many ICU patients, sharing updates, discussing challenging cases, or even reflecting on patient outcomes can inadvertently disclose sensitive patient information. Even a seemingly harmless post about a long shift or a challenging night can contain context clues that breach patient confidentiality.
As a nurse in this setting, you are asked to create the content for a staff update containing a maximum of two content pages that address one or more of these topics:
• Social media best practices.
• What not to do: social media.
• Social media risks to patient information.
• Steps to take if a breach occurs.
This assessment is not a traditional essay. It is a staff educational update about PHI. Consider creating a flyer, pamphlet, or one PowerPoint slide (not an entire presentation). Remember it should not be more than two pages (excluding a title and a reference page).
The task force has asked team members assigned to the topics to include the following content in their updates in addition to content on their selected topics:
• What is protected health information (PHI)?
o Be sure to include essential HIPAA information.
• What are privacy, security, and confidentiality?
o Define and provide examples of privacy, security, and confidentiality concerns related to the use of technology in health care.
o Explain the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to safeguard sensitive electronic health information.
• What evidence relating to social media usage and PHI do interprofessional team members need to be aware of? For example:
o What are some examples of nurses being terminated for inappropriate social media use in the United States?
o What types of sanctions have health care organizations imposed on interdisciplinary team members who have violated social media policies?
o What have been the financial penalties assessed against health care organizations for inappropriate social media use?
o What evidence-based strategies have health care organizations employed to prevent or reduce confidentiality, privacy, and security breaches, particularly related to social media usage?
Notes
• Your staff update is limited to two double-spaced content pages. Be selective about the content you choose to include in your update so you can meet the page length requirement. Include need-to-know information. Omit nice-to-know information.
• Many times people do not read staff updates, do not read them carefully, or do not read them to the end. Ensure your staff update piques staff members’ interest, highlights key points, and is easy to read. Avoid overcrowding the update with too much content.
• Also, supply a separate reference page that includes two or three peer-reviewed and one or two non-peer-reviewed resources (for a total of 3–5 resources) to support the staff update content.
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• Written communication: Ensure the staff update is free from errors that detract from the overall message.
• Submission length: Maximum of two double-spaced content pages.
• Font and font size: Use Times New Roman, 12-point.
• Citations and references: Provide a separate reference page that includes 2–3 current, peer-reviewed and 1–2 current, non-peer-reviewed in-text citations and references (total of 3–5 resources) that support the staff update’s content. Current means no older than 5 years.
• APA format: Be sure your citations and references adhere to APA format. Consult the Evidence and APA page for an APA refresher.
