Looking up patients on Facebook

Guest219794 · Apr 20, 2019

3 hours ago, aprilmoss said:
I'll have to disagree here. Once you expose a patients name on a computer outside the clinical environment you've likely violated your facility's HIPAA policies. The name of a patient is very much PHI.

Exposed to whom?

aprilmoss · Apr 20, 2019

To entities outside the clinical environment. You have no clue what facebook is doing with the information you type into it and certainly your employer has not had the opportunity to do the HIPAA-required analysis of the security of this. You have no business typing a patient name into a system (be it Facebook or google or whatever) outside what is clinically approved.

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2019

While it is likely not a HIPAA violation, I do believe it is a privacy violation and there are ethical dilemmas as well. I loathe everything related to social media and I think it is a very poor idea to ever cross work into social media, even if it is just searching a patient on FB.

As a float nurse I spend 90% of my shifts on the pediatric oncology unit. Yes, as staff we form really close relationships with these patients and families. Still, I have never "friended" a patient in my 13 years when I did have social media, and still do not think it is appropriate.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Apr 20, 2019

I'm more on concerned with the patients that send me friend requests, and try to get my info, then get upset when I tell them no, because it's against policy and my personal boundary rules

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2019

8 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:
I'm more on concerned with the patients that send me friend requests, and try to get my info, then get upset when I tell them no, because it's against policy and my personal boundary rules

Amen to that. Unfortunately have came across that too many times in my careers I have worked for hospitals that put full first and last name on our badges, and have worked for hospitals that only did first name (some did last initial, some did no last name at all). I definitely noticed a difference in the random pt/family friend requests.

CharleeFoxtrot, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2019

1 hour ago, Hoosier_RN said:
I'm more on concerned with the patients that send me friend requests, and try to get my info, then get upset when I tell them no, because it's against policy and my personal boundary rules

My profile is locked down tight for that very reason.

S.Black Seasoned LPN · Apr 21, 2019

21 hours ago, falconersys said:
If you're already part of some of the student nursing Facebook groups, you may have seen this going around before it got dirty deleted. I wanted to get some professionals' opinions.
Apparently some nursing students and RNs believe it is okay to look up your patient's Facebook for the sole purpose of curiosity, not for an emergency purpose (IE trying to find a family member to contact, etc.) To me, this is very much a HIPAA violation, even though Facebook is technically public information. What is your thoughts on this?

I think it's very unprofessional and a violation of the HIPPA law. Are they doing this at work or at home. Are they the patients caregivers? At the hospital I worked for your not allowed to look up your own results or your kids or family members. It was grounds for termination. Now if your a charge nurse needing to look for contact info, I would think for it to be allowed there would need to be a policy. What happened to policies and procedures providing us guidance on what to do. Because FB is social media I wouldn't want my name popping on a patient's page. I think it's disrespectful.

MJB2010 · Apr 21, 2019

Meh. So many bigger fish to fry. Who has time for that anyway?

LovingLife123 · Apr 21, 2019

Oh my gosh, it’s not a HIPAA violation. If somebody’s profile is public on Facebook, then it’s public. So what if Facebook knows you searched this person? Does Facebook know that they were a patient in your hospital, on your unit, and you were their nurse? The answer is no.

We come into contact with thousands of people in our careers. Are you really that naive to think some haven’t searched us? My profile is completely private but I’m sure I’ve been searched before.

I feel like several of those responding need a class on HIPAA and what constitutes a violation.

NightNerd, MSN, RN · Apr 21, 2019

Eh, I think regardless of whether it's a HIPAA violation, it's just better not to go there. I can't fathom having such an intense interest in a patient that I need to internet-stalk them; I want to do my work, go home, and not think about it anymore. If you have a legitimate reason to access their medical record (i.e., are actually taking care of them), that will probably have much more interesting, not to mention relevant, information anyway. Social media is just a place to share your best selfies and show off. Kinda boring.

Don't even get me started on looking people up on the state case search website. Unless they've killed a nurse, I don't want to know anything about their criminal and legal background. Super voyeuristic in my opinion. (I'm sure plenty will disagree with me on this one.)

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2019

Not a HIPAA violation, but still a bad decision as it blurs professional boundaries.

ThatChickOmi, ADN, RN · Apr 21, 2019

Eh...

I don't work in healthcare currently (About to graduate nursing school) but I've added/been added by customers on Facebook but it's only people I've known for a long time (years) and formed a casual relationship with, so for me to say it's unprofessional would be hypocritical. But I guess from a healthcare standpoint it is a much more intimate relationship than say somebody like me that delivers things to our customers. It's a slippery slope.