Do and tell: Why social media isn’t always appropriate

  

This semester I get to draw up my very first communications plan for an organization, and I decided to draw one up for an organization that I have a great deal of respect for, the Hospice Center in Richardson. This plan’s main objective is to seek ways of creating awareness of the center, and increase volunteer participation. Needless to say that I immediately thought to myself: “social media is going to play the trick.” I assumed that social media would be the most effective tool available, to show the good people of Dallas and elsewhere, what the people at the Hospice Center do. So I mentioned that as a tactic in my draft communications plan.

It is so easy to fall into the same trap I fell into, by thinking that social media is the only tool, or the best tool available to market an organization’s image. Yes, social media is everywhere and reaches every continent on earth. Yes, almost everyone uses some social media technology and yes, schools now offer classes centered on social media. I even took one of those classes here at the Mayborn School of Journalism, and it saved me from my ignorance of Twitter, Blogging, LinkedIn and lots of other cool social media networks.

By now everybody should have figured out that the social media idea was not a good idea for the Hospice Center, which offers support for people whose life expectancy is measured in weeks or months. I admit I was shocked when Sandy Heitz, the volunteer coordinator at the center told me that social media was not an option for them. I just thought they were being old-fashioned. Anyway, here is the main reason why they have taken that stance: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prohibits the disclosure of patient information without the patient’s consent. Think of a dying patient, and a grieving family, and ask yourself how many people would grant you that consent. Also think of those consuming social media content, and ask yourself how many of those people would be willing to share the painful details of a private individual’s final days.

The bottom line is this, social media is not appropriate for every business. It is important for people to evaluate the nature of businesses, and look at the laws that govern the operation of that business before jumping to social media as a solution. Also, keep in mind that social media activity is a perfect example of “do and tell.” Social media users expect regular updates on an organization’s activity, and the Hospice Center just can’t do that for the most part. While the Hospice Center is a medical facility, I am in no way saying that hospitals or other medical facilities cannot have a social media presence. The Hospice Center just deals more specifically with a more sensitive and private issue.