Susan, a member of the NPAA New South Wales branch, experienced firsthand the repercussions of a well-intentioned but misguided action involving a patient's photo on social media.
Susan received a notification from AHPRA advising her that a complaint had been made against her due to a social media post.
Susan had made what she thought to be a positive post on social media featuring a picture of her and her patient. Despite positive intentions behind it, the moment Susan was made aware of the concerns raised she removed the post.
Following the complaint Susan thoroughly reviewed AHPRA's social media and professional conduct policies, realising the gravity of breaching patient confidentiality, even unintentionally.
This incident has heightened their awareness of the importance of maintaining professional boundaries and protecting patient privacy in all contexts, including social media. The practitioner expresses deep regret for their lapse in judgement and any potential distress this may have caused to the patient or to the reputation of the profession.
Feeling deep regret for the lapse of judgement, Susan reached out to NPAA for assistance in writing a response to AHPRA.
Susan’s assigned case wrote a letter of response highlighting Susan’s commitment to strictly adhere to AHPRA’s guidelines and maintain the highest professional standards in all their interactions, both online and offline moving forward.
Additionally to ensure she stays current with best practices, Susan plans to undertake additional training on the ethical use of social media in a healthcare context.
As a result of NPAA’s advocacy and support no action will be taken against Susan.
How is the NPAA so effective in defending members during workplace issues and disputes? Our experienced and professional case managers use our unique RED™ case resolution system.
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If you are a member of NPAA and need assistance with a workplace issue, please submit a member support ticket on your dashboard, or contact us at 1300 263 374 - hotline@npaa.asn.au
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The name of the member in this article has been changed for confidentiality reasons.