Practical Guidelines for Managing Digital Media in Healthcare Organizations

Digital media has transformed the way healthcare organizations communicate, document, and interact with patients, staff, and the healthcare community.

From patient portals to social media platforms, and from surveillance videos to recorded office visits, digital media is being embedded in every layer of healthcare operations.

While these tools provide tremendous benefits, they also bring risks that must be managed thoughtfully to protect patients, staff, and healthcare organizations.

What is Considered Digital Media in the Healthcare Environment?

Digital media refers to communication content created and shared through electronic devices and online platforms. It includes text, images, videos, audio files, and interactive content. In healthcare, digital media spans far beyond marketing posts; it includes patient portals, surveillance systems, recordings of patient interactions, and even staff communications on social media. Managing this diverse set of tools requires balancing clinical needs, patient expectations, privacy concerns, and regulatory compliance.

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Patient Portals: Accessibility and Accountability

Patient portals are a vital tool for communication, scheduling, test results, and follow-up care. However, questions remain about who manages these portals, whether they are managed by healthcare providers, nurses, or front-office staff and how responses are processed and tracked.

Organizations must ensure patient expectations are clear by including disclaimers or warnings in the portal, and they must maintain standardized and hard-wired processes for follow-up, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Proactive measures:

  • Assign responsibility for portal oversight and designate back-up coverage.
  • Implement tracking systems to ensure timely responses and escalation of urgent messages.
  • Post clear disclaimers about response times and emergency procedures.
  • Educate staff on communication standards for portal messaging.

Video Surveillance: A Double-Edged Sword

Cameras serve important functions in healthcare organizations, including enhancing security, monitoring high-risk areas, preventing theft, and documenting critical incidents. However, they also raise series operational, legal and ethical concerns, particularly when patient privacy is at stake. Organizations must know where cameras are located, what they record, how long recordings are retained, and who controls access to the servers, whether it is third-party vendors or in-house IT. Mismanagement can lead to serious legal consequences, including spoliation of evidence claims, adverse legal presumptions, violation of HIPAA or patient privacy rights or the loss of valuable information that could have supported the organization’s legal defense. Preservation notices, especially after serious incidents, must be taken seriously: staff should avoid routine blanket saving of all footage but must preserve material when injury or litigation is possible.

Proactive measures:

  • Develop a clear, written surveillance video policy covering camera placement, retention timeframe, and access protocols and utilization boundaries.
  • Limit access of recordings to only authorized personnel including the review of audit trails.
  • Establish contracts and oversight when using third-party vendors and ensure compliance with HIPAA and other privacy laws.
  • Conduct routine audits to confirm compliance with policy.
  • Ensure staff are educated when cameras are permitted and how to report concerns.
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Recording Patients in Healthcare: Do’s and Don’ts

Recording patients in healthcare, whether audio, video or both, raises privacy and legal issues. The default position in most healthcare organizations is that recording patients should be limited and carefully controlled.

DO’s

  • Obtain patient consent before any recording is done for care, education or legal documentation.
  • Use cameras only in appropriate areas such as:
    • Entrances/exits
    • Parking lots
    • Patient care and non-patient care hallways (not treatment areas)
    • Pharmacy departments
    • Psychiatric units
  • Clearly notify patients and staff of surveillance with signage where applicable
  • Document consent and purpose for any clinical, educational or marketing recordings.

DON’TS

  • Do not place cameras in private or sensitive areas, including:
    • Patient bathrooms
    • Shower areas
    • Labor and delivery rooms
    • Patient treatment rooms without clinical justification and consent
  • Do not record without informing patients.
  • Do not allow staff to use personal devices to record patients

Times When Patients Should Not Be Recorded

  • During medical examinations or procedures unless explicitly necessary and consent is obtained.
  • When patients are undressed or undergoing personal hygiene care.
  • When patients are in distress or receiving psychiatric/behavioral care unless required for safety purposes and is part of the policy.
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Social Media: Opportunity and Risk

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook can be powerful tools for engagement and education. Yet they are inherently interactive, meaning healthcare organizations must monitor posts, comments, and replies rather than adopting a “set it and forget it” approach. Clear policies should guide staff on appropriate use, especially when social media activity connects back to the organization. Rules should prohibit use of patient care areas or sensitive spaces in personal posts, discourage direct patient-provider contact on social media, and prevent commentary on co-workers or physicians.

Proactive measures:

  • Develop a social media policy outlining permitted and prohibited conduct.
  • Provide staff education on HIPAA compliant posting and professional boundaries.
  • Assign a communications team to monitor organizational accounts.
  • Establish disciplinary consequences for violations.

HIPAA and Everyday Pitfalls

Even well-intentioned staff can unintentionally commit HIPAA violations through digital media. Examples include posting photos of patients, sharing stories about VIP or crime victim patients or, texting friends about patient encounters, posting on social media while administering patient care or acknowledging patient care on social platforms when tagged in a post. Each of these represents a potential breach of confidentiality with significant consequences for the organization.

Proactive Measures:

  • Reinforce HIPAA education with real-life examples.
  • Prohibit use of personal devices for patient photos or communications.
  • Implement mobile device management systems for work-issued devices.
  • Create a process for reporting and correcting breaches promptly.

Beyond Staff: Providers and Social Media

Social media is not just utilized by your organizations staff members; physicians and advanced practice providers also turn to social media to boost visibility, demonstrate competencies, and build personal brands. While this can enhance patient engagement and relatability, it blurs the line between professional communication and medical advice. Healthcare organizations should help providers understand where to draw boundaries and ensure compliance with privacy laws while still allowing authentic, professional engagement.

Proactive Measures:

  • Establish guidelines for provider use of personal and professional accounts.
  • Require disclaimers when providers share general medical information online.
  • Monitor provider posts tied to the organization for compliance.
  • Offer education on balancing professionalism with digital engagement.

Conclusion

Managing digital media in healthcare requires more than awareness as it demands clear policies, staff education, and ongoing monitoring. By taking proactive measures in patient portal management, video surveillance and retention, and social media oversight, healthcare organizations can leverage digital tools to improve patient care while minimizing risk.