Practice Social Media Policy

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

  Name of The Manager: Asha Kandiban                                                                   

SCOPE

This policy provides guidance for members of Ramona Street Medical Centre on using social media internally and externally. The policy helps identify and mitigate risks associated with social media use. 

OVERVIEW

This policy covers employee interaction and representation of Ramona Street Medical Centre across all communication channels and social media platforms.
 

PURPOSE 

To define the rules for each employee when engaging in social collaboration, regardless of toolset, forum or medium. To also upholds the professional standards of Ramona Street Medical Centre and its Management. GPs and practice staff are legally responsible for their online activities, and if found to be in breach of this policy employment termination will be considered for serious breaches.

Use of practice social media accounts

The practice appoints our manager to be responsible for managing and monitoring the practice’s social media account. All posts on the practice’s social media website are approved and uploaded by this staff member only. The practice reserves the right to remove any content at its own discretion. Asha Kandiban is the Manager for Ramona Street Medical Centre.  

BACKGROUND

Ramona Street Medical Centre recognises employees use of social media and that the lines between work and home are becoming increasingly difficult to identify with the use of mobile devices.

Employees are personally responsible for the content they publish in a personal or professional capacity on any social media platform.

This policy does not apply to staff members’ personal use of social media platforms where they make ​no real or perceived​ reference to Ramona Street Medical Centre or Ramona Street Management Group, its staff, it’s clients/patients, services, business partners, government, suppliers or other stakeholders.
 

DEFINITIONS

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media includes the various online technology tools that enable people to communicate easily via the internet to share information and resources. People use social media to talk, participate, share, network and bookmark online. Social media can include text, audio, video, images, podcasts and other multimedia communication and is also known as Social Networking. Social media includes, but is not limited to:

  • Email
  • Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus)
  • Video and photo sharing (Flickr, YouTube)
  • Blogs, including personal and corporate blogs
  • Micro-blogging
  • Online forums and discussion boards
  • Wikis (Wikipedia)
  • Podcasting

EMPLOYEES

In this policy, employees include permanent and casual staff and executives, contractors, temporary staff, trainees and students on placements.
 

PRACTICE

In this policy, ‘the practice’ may be used interchangeably with the employers trading name:
Ramona Street Medical Centre.
 

POLICY

No images, content or confidential information from within Ramona Street Medical Centre or

management is to be posted on any social media platform without express permission of Ramona Street management team. Employees should not respond to comments and reviews left by patients and clients without prior authorisation from the management team.

Where an employee’s comments or profile can identify them as a Ramona Street Medical Centre ’s employee, that employee:

  • Must ensure any online communication is consistent with Ramona Street Medical Centre ’s Code of Conduct, values, policies and applicable laws.
  • Write on all postings that the stated views are your own and are not those of Ramona Street Medical Centre.
  • Must not imply you are authorised to speak as a representative of Ramona Street Medical Centre.
  • Must not make any comment or post any material that might otherwise cause damage to Ramona Street Medical Centre ’s reputation or bring it into disrepute.
  • Must not post material that includes confidential/proprietary information or trade secrets, or information that is offensive, obscene, defamatory, libellous, threatening, harassing, bullying, discriminatory, hateful, racist, or sexist.
  • Must not use a Ramona Street Medical Centre ’s logos or insignia without written permission from the management team.
  • Can only disclose and discuss publicly available information.
  • Must adhere to the Terms of Use of the relevant social media platform, as well as copyright, privacy, defamation, contempt of court, discrimination and other applicable laws, and Ramona Street Medical Centre’s Privacy of Health Records and Personal Information policies.

COMPLIANCE

  • Ramona St Medical Centre reserves the right to initiate action against any staff member, in accordance with the organisation’s Disciplinary Procedure, who uses social media in a manner that could be considered inappropriate or not consistent with this policy or any other Ramona Street Medical Centre policy.
  • Management will consider the nature and severity of the post, the source of the post, whether a Ramona Street Medical Centre or management team was named, if the post is public, if other workers have seen the post, if the Ramona St Medical Centre’s name has been damaged or the Health Industry has been damaged, and or if the comment was impulsive or deliberate when considering any disciplinary action.
  • Disciplinary action may include termination of employment or disengagement of external contractors.

 

DISCLOSURE OF INAPPROPRIATE USE

Where an employee becomes aware of inappropriate or unlawful online content that relates to Ramona Street Medical Centre, or content that may otherwise have been published in breach of this policy the situation and circumstances should be reported immediately to the Practice Manager or Management team.

 PERSONAL USE

This policy does not discourage nor unduly limit employees using social media for personal expression or other online activities in their personal life.

Employees should be aware of and understand the potential risks and damage to Ramona Street Medical Centre that can occur, either directly or indirectly from their personal use of social media and should comply with this policy to ensure that the risk is minimised.

Employees are personally responsible for content published in their personal capacity on any form of social media platform. When in doubt, employees can seek guidance from the Practice Manager on how to comply with the following obligations.

To avoid breaching this policy, employees must:

  • Only disclose and discuss publicly available information
  • Ensure that all content published is accurate and not misleading and complies with all relevant practice policies and other legal and professional requirements
  • Expressly state that stated views are personal and are not representative of the practice
  • Behave politely and respectfully
  • Adhere to the terms of use for using the social media platform or website, and adhere to legislation including copyright, privacy, defamation, contempt of court, discrimination, harassment and any other applicable laws, and the Practice’s Privacy Policy.

Employees must not:

  • Post material that is offensive, obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, bullying, discriminatory, hateful, racist, sexist, infringes copyright, constitutes a contempt of court, breaches a Court suppression order, or is otherwise unlawful.
  • Imply that they are authorised to speak as a representative of the company, nor give the impression that the views expressed are those of the company
  • Use the identity or likeness of another employee, contractor or other member of the company
  • Use their practice email address or any practice logos or insignia that may give the impression of official support or endorsement of their personal comment
  • Use or disclose any confidential information or personal information obtained in their capacity as an employee or contractor of the company
  • Post material that is, or might be construed as, threatening, harassing, bullying or discriminatory towards another employee or contractor of the Practice
  • Comment or post any material that might otherwise cause damage to the practice’s reputation or bring it into disrepute.

When accessing social media while at work, you must do so in accordance with Ramona Street Medical Centre ’s Internet and Email Usage policy, which requires you to use these resources reasonably, in a manner that does not interfere with your work and is not inappropriate or excessively accessed.

REFERENCES AND ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS

  • Privacy Policy
  • Code of Conduct Policy
  • Anti – Discrimination Policy
  • Data and Security Breach Protocol
  • Confidentiality Agreement
  • Internet and Email Usage Policy
  • Use of Computers Policy

LEGISLATION 

  • Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth)
  • Fair Work Act 2009 (Commonwealth)

STANDARDS/CODES OF PRACTICE/INDUSTRY GUIDELINES 

  • Social Media and the Medical Profession: guidelines for medical staff and medical students, Australian Medical Association
  • Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) social media Policy.

Ramona Street Medical Centre has taken all reasonable steps in the development of this policy, to make its content consistent with the proper discharge of its obligations under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 and all related state and federal laws.

FEEDBACK

Ramona Street Medical Centre is committed to listening and responding to feedback from our patients. This enables us to further improve the quality of services we deliver. If you have any feedback you would like to share with us, please email us at ramonaquakershill@gmail.com.

Please note that this process can take up to 30 working days depending on the subject matter of your feedback.

Alternatively, you can phone us on:
02-9626 8865
or write to us at:
Patient Feedback
42 Pearce Road,

Quakers Hill, NSW 2763

However, if you are dissatisfied and want to take your concerns further, you may contact the Health Care Complaint Commissions by writing to Locked Bag 18, Strawberry Hills, 2012. Telephone: 1800 043 159

MODIFICATION

  • The date the policy is due for review no greater than two years from the date of endorsement.
  • The Ramona Street Management team is responsible for reviewing this policy regularly and the practice staffs will be notified of any update or changes during team meetings or via work emails.

 

Make An Appointment

We prefer you to make a prior appointment if you want to see your preferred doctor. Please call our friendly receptionist and she will assist you.