AHLA Connections: Legal Implications of Health Care Social Media

The current issue of the American Health Lawyers Association's Connections magazine features an article I co-authored with fellow AHLA health lawyer, Jody Joiner, on the impact of social media use in health care.

The article, Risky Business: Treating Tweeting the Symptoms of Social Media (PDF version), is featured in the March 2010 issue of AHLA Connections (Vol.14, No. 3, March 2010), a health lawyer magazine for the health and life sciences law community.

We provide background context on the use of social media tools by health care providers, address why we think health lawyers need to understand social media, and explore some of the legal implications as social media and the law intersect. The article ends with practical guidance to health care providers and organizations on implementing policies emphasizing the appropriate use of social media.

You can peruse the complete digital edition of the March 2010 AHLA Connections (Vol. 14, No. 3, March 2010). AHLA members should also check out the article in this issue on the recently launch Health Law Wiki. Great to see AHLA adding a wiki resource for members to share their expertise and experience in the complex and ever changing health care legal and regulatory world.

Special thanks to the AHLA Connections staff for allowing Jody and I the opportunity to write the article and for their great editorial assistance.