10.5.4. Guidelines/Policy When Posting as a Member of the IHP Community

Maintain confidentiality. Do not post confidential or proprietary information about your patients, their families, clinical facilities and staff, MGH Institute of Health Professions, its students, or its alumni. Use good ethical judgment and follow Institute policies and federal requirements, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
In personal posts, if you identify yourself as a student or a member of IHP community, be clear that you are posting your own views and not the views of IHP or your program. If you make a mistake, correct it. If you modify an earlier post, make it clear you are doing so. Rarely do you “speak on behalf of…” If you say it, it is yours to own.
There is no protected or private speech on a social media site. Search engines can find your words and pictures years later. Comments can be copied by others and forwarded.
Respect copyright laws: You must have written permission before using any copyrighted or proprietary materials such as photographs, videos, texts, art, music, etc. In general, verbal or written permission must be obtained from individuals whose images are identifiable. However, written permission is always better.
Do not post personally identifiable information: Information that can be used to locate someone offline, including phone numbers, addresses, birth dates, email addresses, etc. should not be posted.
Employers typically conduct web searches (including searches on Facebook and other social media) on job candidates before extending offers. Assume they will do this for you as well when applying for positions. Do not post commentary and other postings deemed to be copyright infringement, defamatory, proprietary, obscene, or dangerous on the web. Potential employers may see this content and disqualify you from an offer of employment.

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10.5. Use of Technology in Classroom and Social Media