HOW TO STAY ON THE UPSIDE OF LEGAL IN A QUICKLY EVOLVING TECH WORLD

I’m a freedom lover. I LOVE to navigate this world my way and rarely does it come close to the societal norm. I think a lot of Practitioners of Chinese Medicine are like this. We tend to be the outliers and renegades. However, I often see the tendency for Acupuncturists to sweep legal professionalism into the gray space. Not doing due diligence with the “seemingly small things”, like HIPAA compliant emails and posting photos on social media. It’s easy to gloss over these details when starting a practice and it’s hard to recall specifically from our education what best practices are. Our ethics and jurisprudence classes are short and relatively boring and mashed in between the high demands of memorizing an entire pharmacopeia. SO….this is my continued graduation gift to you. Let’s till the proverbial soil and plant some very healthy and robust seeds. In order to keep that seed alive and help it grow, we might encounter some tasks that are not fun but necessary for it to thrive. The same goes for your career and practice. Stay informed about the ever-changing climate and world of technology. Just like following the rules of nature, there are rules that you have to follow with your practice so that you can thrive. In this episode we are going to touch on some laws and practices you need to be aware of as new practitioners. Make sure the light shines on the soil. No shady practices here. We are talking mostly about your online presence and what you need to be aware of with regards to social media, HIPAA compliance, BAA agreements, webinars, emails, phones, and newsletters.
YOU'LL LEARN

• What services you might hire an attorney to provide you business.
• PHI defined and exactly what our responsibilities are.
• What is a BAA and why is it necessary.
• Should you really be asking for advice on cases on Facebook??!!!
• Can an Acupuncturist also be a Health Coach? If so, what legal protection would a practitioner need in place when coaching?
• How does HIPAA influence our relationship with patients on social media?
• Does your newsletter need to be HIPAA compliant? What about your phone? Yes and yes. I have a solution for you.

resources

• Need HIPAA compliant email, phone and video that’s super affordable? I use Google Workspace and love it.
• Here are some great articles I found in my research. Worth the read!
• Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards 
• Social Media and Health Care Professionals: Benefits, Risks, and Best Practices 
• The Rise of the Empowered Physician in the Digital Health Era: Viewpoint 

call to action

• Join me on Instagram @AcuSprout

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Further episodes of AcuSprout: Acupuncture Podcast

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