Healthcare providers that use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can interact with their patients, advertise new services, and communicate urgent announcements. Even though there’s immense potential for social media to improve healthcare, it can also expose patient-specific information when used irresponsibly.

Before Social Media platforms like Facebook went live, HIPAA was established to protect the privacy of medical providers and their patients. And although there are no specific rules for Social Media use, every healthcare organization must implement security protocols that adhere to privacy policies.

If you imagine medical records as being stored in a cabinet somewhere in your local hospital, think again. Until quite recently, medical records were publicly accessible via Google. In an effort to prevent cybercriminals from capitalizing on these resources, Google has removed sensitive medical records from appearing in search results.