Much of the time, your practice’s social media presence is a good thing: it helps you connect to your community, share information about your office, and enables you to share generalized health education. But when bad actors strike in tandem, some pediatricians have experienced online attacks on their stance on vaccines and other healthcare. These online trolls can bombard practices with negative reviews, harassment, and even coordinated disinformation campaigns that threaten a practice's reputation and patient relationships. In this post, we’ll cover a few ways to protect your practice and maintain positive social media connections.
Navigating this complex social media landscape requires specific strategies and legal expertise. This article draws on insights from a health law attorney and a pediatrician who has successfully fought back against online attacks. Check out our white paper for more about Shirin Hart and Dr. Eve Switzer.
Protecting Patient Privacy
When responding to negative online comments, pediatricians must be extremely careful to avoid any acknowledgment or identification of specific patients to adhere to HIPAA privacy regulations strictly. However, they have more leeway to address trolls or those falsely claiming to be patients directly.
Addressing Fake Reviews
Fake online reviews can significantly damage a practice's credibility and reputation. Pediatricians should review the hosting platform's policies to determine if suspicious reviews can be flagged or removed. In more egregious cases of harassment or defamation, sending cease and desist letters can be an effective deterrent, though legal counsel should be sought before doing so.
Defamation and Libel
Pediatricians may have grounds for defamation or libel claims when facing false or misleading statements. However, these legal actions should be carefully weighed, as lawsuits can be disruptive and costly. The harm caused by the online attacks must be weighed against the personal and financial toll of litigation.
Advice for Pediatricians Under Attack
Don’t panic if you find yourself on the defense against an online attack. Here’s a checklist to determine whether you’re under threat and what to do if that’s the case:
- Carefully examine the source of negative comments to determine if they are legitimate complaints or coordinated attacks.
- Default to flagging and reporting comments that appear to be spam or false information.
- For legitimate complaints, focus responses on practice policies and invite further discussion offline.
- Document any harassment or defamation, as this can support legal action.
- Seek help from organizations that support pediatricians in fighting vaccine misinformation online.
- Consider sending cease and desist letters, with guidance from legal counsel.
While the nature of social media can make pediatricians feel isolated, you are not alone in this fight. Many colleagues, professional organizations, and advocacy groups are ready to support and defend pediatricians against online attacks aimed at undermining children's healthcare.
Get the full story, including legal wisdom from a healthcare law attorney and a pediatrician’s personal experience of defending against anti-vaccine rhetoric in our white paper.
