AHA Releases Leadership Guide to Digital and Social Media Engagement

When it comes to social media, employers are always on the lookout for smart, practical tips. For those in the hospital setting, you are in luck. The American Hospital Association recently issued “A Hospital Leadership Guide to Digital & Social Media Engagement.”

The Guide is noteworthy because it can assist hospital and patient care facilities navigate through social media issues, including directing and policing employee social media conduct and engagement, HIPAA concerns, and even how to deal with negative online comments.

Overall, the guide is fairly simple and easy to use. It provides practical, easy-to-grasp tips for those in leadership positions within hospital settings so they can get up to speed in this quickly-evolving area. The four main areas and related sub-groups are as follows:

1. Getting Started, which gives five tips to getting starting.
2. Setting Up An Infrastructure
   – How to set up an infrastructure;
   – Resource allocation;
   – Establishing clear policies; and 
   – Benefits and challenges of an open network.
3. Engaging Patients
   – Creating communities;
   – Addressing negative comments; and 
   – Determining return on investment.
4. Engaging Employees
   – Opportunities to engage;
   – Legal focus; and 
   – HIPAA.

Employers outside the hospital context may also find the guide helpful, especially those with patient or sensitive information to protect.