Social media networks can be used by healthcare organizations to advertise their services as well as communicate with patients and get them more involved in their own healthcare. However, there’s always a risk that Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules and patient privacy will be violated on social media networks.

Social media can be an effective tool for sharing experiences, building professional connections, and broadcasting conventional healthcare announcements. However, posts that contain client or patient-specific information can have dire consequences for healthcare organizations.

Healthcare providers that use Social Media can interact with their patients, advertise new services, and quickly communicate urgent announcements or messages. There's immense potential for it to improve care, but also to expose patient-specific information.

Google has recently made changes to its personal information policy, including a major one for the healthcare industry. The search giant has begun removing private medical records from its search results, preventing cybercriminals from taking advantage of these resources that were previously available after only a few keystrokes.