Webinar on social media risks planned

20-02-2014

The risks of social media, and what options exist for policies, procedures and workforce training to protect against damaging breaches, will be the subject of a webinar taking place on February 26.

‘Social Media and HIPAA Privacy: How to Reduce Your Organization’s Risks,’ a webinar from Atlantic Information Services, (AIS), has been organized in response to the fact that an increasing number of healthcare organizations and professionals are using social media to reach out to patients and health plan members, or inform the public about services they offer.

While Facebook, Twitter and other new e-tools are fast becoming effective and popular ways for HIPAA covered entities and business associates to stay connected, serious new patient privacy risks created by these media are often not fully considered.

Participants will hear from privacy expert Chris Apgar, CEO and president of Apgar & Associates, LLC, and a former HIPAA compliance officer. In a 60-minute presentation, followed by 30 minutes dedicated to individual questions, Apgar will address issues such as  the legal, technical and regulatory risks associated with social media and how to create an effective HIPAA-compliant social media program that will reduce the risk of costly security breaches.

It will also examine which HIPAA safeguards and best practices should be proactively built into the overall management of social media programs and what steps healthcare organizations should follow when implementing a social media program and monitoring/training requirements, including after business hour posting.

Webinar attendees will receive a detailed template for a social media policy and procedure that can be used by covered entities and business associates as they plan or augment social media programs.

 

social media, HIPAA, Atlantic Information Service