Overview:

Healthcare is both a professional practice and a highly competitive industry. For providers of all sizes, effective marketing is essential for organizational growth and stability.

While the internet and social media serve as the modern marketplace for patients seeking care, many providers employ digital marketing strategies suitable for retail businesses but which violate HIPAA by inadvertently revealing patient identities. This creates significant compliance risks in the pursuit of new patients.

The HHS OIG highlights medical identity theft as the most rapidly expanding type of identity theft in the U.S. Criminals using social engineering need just two elements to commit it: a patient's identity and a provider's identity. Fortunately, providers can protect themselves by implementing straightforward administrative safeguards outlined in the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Why you should Attend:

The internet is rife with conspicuous HIPAA violations made unknowingly by healthcare providers. Regulatory bodies like the OCR and FTC have now clarified that "invisible" tracking tools, such as Meta Pixels and Google Analytics embedded in websites, also constitute HIPAA violations.

These infractions often originate from common marketing tactics designed to attract new patients and boost engagement. Most violations are publicly visible, exposing providers to liability and patients to risks like medical identity theft. Even "invisible" trackers can be easily detected with readily available software, placing healthcare providers directly in the crosshairs of regulators.

This webinar will demonstrate how simple, proactive HIPAA compliance steps allow providers to engage patients online effectively while mitigating these significant dangers.

You will learn how to:

• Interpret HIPAA regulations as they apply to websites and social media.

• Implement straightforward safeguards to ensure your website and social platforms are HIPAA-compliant.

• Identify how online tracking technologies (e.g., Meta Pixel, Google Analytics) breach HIPAA and FTC regulations.

• Apply strategies to prevent tracking technology violations.

• Navigate the HIPAA implications of patient-authored online reviews, including permissible and prohibited responses.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Application of HIPAA Rules to Websites and Social Media

• Essential Website Safeguards

• Major New Liability: Tracking Technologies and How to Mitigate It

• HIPAA Regulations Governing Patient Reviews

• Simple Safeguards for Managing Patient Reviews

Who Will Benefit:

• Healthcare Providers (For-Profit and Non-Profit)

• HIPAA Compliance Officials

• Staff responsible for patient acquisition, engagement, and social media management

• In-House and Outside Legal Counsel

• Vendors of Healthcare Marketing and Social Media Services (including HIPAA Business Associates)

• Executive and Board Members overseeing compliance, who must recognize online HIPAA risks and their solutions