2021 - 2022 COM Student Handbook

Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM)—Osteopathic Medicine Program 2021–2022 160 will be treated as if made in a public forum. Postings made on social networking sites can have educational ramifications. Conduct that violates university policies or procedures may result in disciplinary action. The use of social networking sites or weblogs can also have legal ramifications. Comments made regarding the care of patients, or that portray you or a colleague in an unprofessional manner, may be used in court as evidence of a variety of claims (including, but not limited to, libel, slander, defamation of character, negligence, and others) or in other disciplinary proceedings (e.g., state medical licensing boards). Other potential consequences include the revocation of a residency selection, or sanctions by a professional licensing board. Also, the statements and media posted within these sites are potentially viewable by program directors, future employers, and patients or clients. It is not uncommon for program directors to search for the social networking profiles of potential residents and to use the discovered information in making selection decisions. Individuals have been denied residencies and other employment opportunities as a result of material found on social networking sites. With respect to confidentiality, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) applies to social networking sites, and violators may be subject to the same prosecution as with other HIPAA violations. In addition, cyberstalking and other inappropriate postings can be considered forms of sexual harassment. Online relationships with other medical students are subject to the NSU Sexual Misconduct Policy/Title IX. Please refer to the policies contained within the NSU Student Handbook . Best Practice Guidelines for Online Social Networking 1. The lines between public and private as well as personal and professional are often blurred in online social networks. By identifying yourself as a KPCOM student, you may influence perceptions about KPCOM by those who have access to your social network profile or weblog. All content associated with you should be consistent with your position at the school and with KPCOM’s values and professional standards. 2. Unprofessional postings by others on your page may reflect very poorly on you. Monitor others’ postings on your site and strive to ensure that the content would not be viewed as unprofessional. It may be useful to block postings from individuals who post unprofessional content. 3. Help monitor your peers by alerting colleagues to unprofessional or potentially offensive comments made online to avoid future indiscretions and refer them to this document. 4. Always avoid giving medical advice as this could result in a violation of HIPAA, could potentially risk liability under state licensing laws, and may cause danger to others. Make sure that you differentiate medical opinions from medical facts and articulate which statements reflect your personal beliefs. 5. Due to continuous changes in these sites you should closely monitor the privacy settings of your social network accounts to optimize their privacy and security. Restrict your settings so that only individuals you have authorized to access your profile can see your information. Also, you should not share or post any identification numbers or demographic information online.