Chris Montera (@GeekyMedic) raised the question of utilizing Social Media while on a shift. Here is my elongated answer to the questions he posed:

So I am on vacation this week and have the ability to follow twitter and facebook closely. I am amazed at how many people are sending tweets while enroute to a call or just after the completion. Is this becoming the new norm? Should we as administrators figure out a way to allow this free flow of information or should we stop it cold? Anyway, add me to your twitter @geekymedic if you want to follow the travels across America. If you are in the heartland on I-80 from NE to OH let me know we can stop by and take some pictures of fellow EMSer’s at work.

As far as the “safety” argument goes, I don’t believe it really has relevance when it comes specifically to social media. The fact is that responders could just as easily be texting family members, talking on their cell phone to friends, or for that matter be on the radio with the dispatcher who just sent over an update on the MDT.

Is this becoming the new norm?

I think it depends on what you consider “new”. Participation in social media outlets has been trending up since 2005 and mobile participation has trended up sharply since 2007. So if you consider “new” to be a trend greater than 4 years old, then the answer is yes. If you consider “new” to be a trend less than 4 years old then the answer is no.

Should we as administrators figure out a way to allow this free flow of information or should we stop it cold?

I think this has already been answered in recent world events. Attempting to stop the communication cold through a draconian policy, where enforcement will not be as easy as it may seem at first, is not going to be effective nor would it be received well. Considering that since most agencies continue to ignore social media, our responders are our sole evangelists or they can become our strongest critics in a forum where opinion is created and spread exponentially… including to the ears of those who may have influence over budgets.

It has become apparent that agencies need to address the situation responsibly whether they realize it or not. We have already seen an EMT charged with Official Misconduct for a photo uploaded to Facebook, and this is rightfully so considering his actions violated a number of laws including those governing patient confidentiality. Agencies need to provide guidance to their responders on what is not acceptable as well as what is acceptable. Here are two lists of actions I think agencies should consider concerning social media when issuing policies on the use of mobile devices while on duty:

The Responder Don’ts

• DO NOT potentially violate patient confidentiality by using a camera phone, providing an address, or using a name
• DO NOT text, tweet, photograph, or video while responding to a call
• DO NOT text, tweet, photograph, or video while caring for a patient
• DO NOT text, tweet, or communicate unconfirmed information
• DO NOT Defame your co-workers, your supervisor, your agency, or for that matter anyone since that kind of conduct is unprofessional

The Responder Do’s

• DO text, tweet, photograph, or video while not assigned to a call
• DO text, tweet, or communicate advisory conditions such as traffic, street closures, or bad weather
• DO text, tweet, or communicate suspicious activity you may be witnessing without jumping to conclusions
• DO text, tweet, photograph, or video your partner being the trained professional you are
• DO text, tweet, or communicate an exciting, interesting, or good call afterwards without violating confidentiality. You saved a life, and the world should know it and be proud of you for doing so

The vast majority of responders want to relay what they are doing, what unique experiences they are having, and want to do so because they are in fact proud of what they are doing.

There is a middle ground in this, it is just up to the agencies to take the responsibility to find it and then communicate it to their responders.