Friday, April 15, 2011

Doctors' Not-So-Social Social Media

As doctors increasingly become employees of large health systems, restrictions are being placed on what they can say in social media. Take, for instance, this public social media policy of Kaiser Permanente regarding proprietary information:
Employees may not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of or about Kaiser Permanente, its affiliates, vendors, or suppliers, including but not limited to business and financial information, represent that they are communicating the views of Kaiser Permanente, or do anything that might reasonably create the impression that they are communicating on behalf of or as a representative of Kaiser Permanente.
So doctors, be mindful and don't talk about any of those contract dealings that might conflict with your patients' best interests, okay?

Unless, of course, you like unemployment.

-Wes

7 comments:

Dennis said...

I have lived a great life... I would like to live a bit more of course but I no longer look upon my doctors as friends and with my best interest at heart. I see them as robots programmed to do what they can to further the needs of their masters and keep the profits flowing. I once thought to arrive at the ER with ATM written in lipstick on my forehead but then decided I was really asking for it...

Keith said...

Wes,

My whole point regarding the continuing trend of employment of physicians by large medical institutions and the freedom of the medical community to express their views. Once this evolves to the next level, the values and morals of the physician community will become those of the corporate community. And in some cases, in conflict with the Hippocratic oath. Which are we to ascribe to then; corporate oathor Hippocractic oath?

Anonymous said...

of topic, but consider discussing "eprescribe" and how it tied to medicare reimbursement. Yet many mail pharmacies don't except it, we can't do it for the VA patients, and we can no longer write prescriptions or we risk losing 1.5% of our medicare reimbursement -- and as far as I know there is no data to suggest it saves money (other than reducing physician reimbursement) or lives.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Wes,

Isn't it ironic that the political party that espouses the depravity of large corporations is destroying the cottage industry of doctoring and enabling the hostile takeover now seen in medicine?

Edwin Leap, MD said...

Sadly, many young physicians really want to be employed. While I understand their desire (for financial and lifestyle reasons), they seldom realize that little things like free speech will be potentially impacted by their employee status. Of course, college speech codes are such a part of their lives that maybe the restriction only bothers doctors who remember the meaning of the First Amendment!

Anonymous said...

more dark box?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbZQLYpExEc&feature=related

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Anonymous said...

Kaiser Permanente does not employ the physicians that provide the patient care to Kaiser members. The physicians are shareholders or partners in the regional medical groups that are contracted with Kaiser Permanente to provide the physician services. The above quote implying restrictions on free speech by Kaiser employees does not apply to me as a "Kaiser doctor" - I work for The Permanente Medical Group, Inc.