Online Marketing and HIPPA

Social media marketing is a highly effective strategy for gaining new clients and leads, but is it safe to publish photos and media of your clients? The medical field is a peculiar case with social media marketing because of HIPAA compliance.

Many dentists and physicians are left uneasy about participating in social media marketing because of these best practice unknowns.

Here's what it takes to publish content from your happy patients as a medical provider and still be in compliance with current HIPAA laws. Publishing a person's candid photo online without their permission is against HIPAA regulations. It's important for your social media manager to understand all the HIPAA compliance standards. 

Have A Consent Form

Including a consent form for your patients to sign while they wait is a miniscule addition to your sign-in/registration procedure, so consider including one as a permission form that protects you from HIPAA laws.

What To Include

-Your consent form should cover basic authorization from your patient to share photo or video of their results. Most people won't read the form and most people are agreeable if they feel like they're about to get a great service from your practice. Without this agreement between you and your patient, you won't have any quality content to share in advertising and social media. 

-You should also include a clause for revoking the authorization at any time, in case the patient changes their mind. This will give them peace of mind releasing content authority to you, and helps you settle disagreements or miscommunication regarding the content shared, should any arise.

-Include an option for your patient to receive a copy of the form and include them in the process, if they have any questions, help them understand how valuable and beneficial their participation is for your practice. If they like your company and your service, they'll be honored to take part in sharing their results.

-Make sure you include your practice name and space for your clients' signature and date.

The best kind of social media content shows happy customers and clients benefitting from the services you render them.

The best way to get your patients excited about being a client of yours is to include them in the process, in the journey, in your story. Storytelling is the best form of content on social media. Creating a personal brand is far more interesting and relatable.

The significance is a very underrated motivator in life, and your clients will feel significant to see themselves on your social media, liked and loved by your highly qualified following - only if they've already given you permission to do so.

Try these HIPAA best practices on your authorization form and be safe to promote your best work today!

If you have any other HIPPA related marketing questions, please don't hesitate to contact our office. We are experts in Medical Marketing and have perfected the craft of social media marketing.