Running head: WE CAN BUT DARE WE? 1
We can but dare we? Smartphone and Social Media use in Healthcare
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR 360: Information Systems In Healthcare
, WE CAN BUT DARE WE?
2
We can but dare we? Smartphone and Social Media use in Healthcare
According to PEW research center, a nonpartisan policy institute that studies trends, it
found that 95% of Americans own a smartphone, and seven-in-ten Americans use social media .
Smartphones are handheld personal mobile-computers that are capable of many computing
functions. Social media allows users to share data with their networks and or other websites
(Anderson & Caumon, 2014). The combination of mobile smart devices and social media
presents many challenges for healthcare professionals in maintaining patient privacy and
ensuring that HIPAA is not violated. This paper explores smartphones and social media in
healthcare based on the following scenario.
Chosen Scenario Conclusion
A nurse working in the emergency room received a 28 year old male unconscious
client who is the lead singer of her favorite band. The client was involved in a motor vehicle
accident in which some passengers died. The nurse was communicating with her friend
throughout her shift, who had attended a concert with the same singer shortly before the
accident. The nurse texted her friend to tell her that the singer was in the Emergency Room under
her care. The friend requested evidence to confirm that he was in fact under her care. In
response, the nurse took a picture of the unconscious client with her smartphone and sent it to her
friend. The next day, a coworker informed the nurse about an investigation being carried out at
their work site related to HIPAA violation connected to an admitted celebrity. The coworker
then elaborates to the nurse that the photos of the client appeared to have been sold to a tabloid
called Gossip Gazette. The nurse, assumed the photos were secure with her friend. She then tries
to confirm this by looking for her phone, however she could not find it
We can but dare we? Smartphone and Social Media use in Healthcare
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR 360: Information Systems In Healthcare
, WE CAN BUT DARE WE?
2
We can but dare we? Smartphone and Social Media use in Healthcare
According to PEW research center, a nonpartisan policy institute that studies trends, it
found that 95% of Americans own a smartphone, and seven-in-ten Americans use social media .
Smartphones are handheld personal mobile-computers that are capable of many computing
functions. Social media allows users to share data with their networks and or other websites
(Anderson & Caumon, 2014). The combination of mobile smart devices and social media
presents many challenges for healthcare professionals in maintaining patient privacy and
ensuring that HIPAA is not violated. This paper explores smartphones and social media in
healthcare based on the following scenario.
Chosen Scenario Conclusion
A nurse working in the emergency room received a 28 year old male unconscious
client who is the lead singer of her favorite band. The client was involved in a motor vehicle
accident in which some passengers died. The nurse was communicating with her friend
throughout her shift, who had attended a concert with the same singer shortly before the
accident. The nurse texted her friend to tell her that the singer was in the Emergency Room under
her care. The friend requested evidence to confirm that he was in fact under her care. In
response, the nurse took a picture of the unconscious client with her smartphone and sent it to her
friend. The next day, a coworker informed the nurse about an investigation being carried out at
their work site related to HIPAA violation connected to an admitted celebrity. The coworker
then elaborates to the nurse that the photos of the client appeared to have been sold to a tabloid
called Gossip Gazette. The nurse, assumed the photos were secure with her friend. She then tries
to confirm this by looking for her phone, however she could not find it
