Create a social media policy to protect your office
With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other forms of social media, dentists need to pay attention to what is being written about their practices online. Having a social media policy in place in your office is a good idea to protect your practice. If you already have a confidentiality policy in place, then a social media policy could just be an extension of that.
Below is a social media policy template developed by the Wisconsin Dental Association that you can use as a guide for creating a policy in your own office. The WDA does not provide legal advice and, as such, the template is only offered as a guideline.
Social Media Policy template
The following applies to <COMPANY NAME> employees who create or contribute to social media, including but not limited to: blogs, social networks, wikis and online forums.
As social media changes the way we socialize and conduct business, it is important to remember what you do online is ultimately linked to your personal and professional lives and that your “virtual footprint” can be tracked and traced.
<COMPANY NAME> respects an employee’s right to participate in online forums for personal reasons during non-work hours. <IF APPLICABLE, INCLUDE NOTE TO SEE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK FOR MORE INFO ON COMPANY’S INTERNET/COMPUTER USE POLICY>
All <COMPANY NAME> employees participating in social media and online commentary are expected to use their professional judgment prior to posting anything online and to adhere to all office policies currently in place or at the discretion of the Employer.
Content posted on blogs, social networks, wikis and other online forums should comply with the organization’s confidentiality and employee ethics policies. Any work-related comments should be respectful and relevant in a way that protects the organization’s brand and reputation and follows the letter and spirit of the law.
Your online presence reflects upon <COMPANY NAME> and its reputation. Be aware that your actions captured via images, posts or comments can reflect that of the organization, regardless of whether or not it occurs during work hours. Tips for maintaining your and <COMPANY NAME>’s professional image online:
- Keep your personal and professional lives separate to help protect your own privacy. However, if you use professional networking sites like LinkedIn please do promote your role in the organization in a positive way.
- Remember that even anonymous comments can be traced back to your IP address, so use office Internet access for work-related purposes only.
- Post meaningful, respectful comments that positively promote your role as <A/AN COMPANY NAME> employee and reflect on your co-workers/colleagues, department and organization.
- Respect Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy requirements.
- Be transparent. Do not misrepresent yourself.
- Respect copyright laws and reference or cite sources appropriately.
- When disagreeing with others’ opinions, keep it appropriate and polite. If you find yourself in a situation online that looks as if it’s becoming antagonistic, disengage from the dialogue in a polite manner.
- Never participate in social media when the topic being discussed might be considered a crisis situation.
- When in doubt about posting a comment or image, don’t! Protect yourself, your privacy and the organization’s confidential information and its reputation. What you publish is widely accessible and will be around for a long time, so consider the content carefully. Google has a long memory.
The information presented here was originally published in the WDA Journal and is made available by permission of the Wisconsin Dental Association, www.wda.org.
