Cell phone use has become a way of life in our society. From checking emails to social media, cell phone use has been on the rise for personal and business use. Since a cell phone has the ability to record conversations, take photos, connect directly to the internet, and store or transfer data, the use of it in the office could be a privacy concern. On the blog today, Bryant Consultants is providing information to help you decide if your office needs a cell phone policy.
“Place all cell phones in the basket while at work.”
When you transition from one extreme to another, policies such as the one above, are typically not well received by staff members. Although the policy may seem effective, employees are adults and normally do not react well when feeling as if they are being treated as a child. Placing your phone in the basket is similar to the teacher taking away your toy in school.
What’s an alternative?
There are several methods in which to instill a cell phone policy. However, no one answer is the perfect fit for all practices, so we encourage you to work with your staff and consider your specific circumstances to provide the best solution.
One approach to the cell phone use policy would be to include a few elements that explain acceptable and non-acceptable use of personal cell phones like the ones below:
- Cell phone use when tending to a patient is not acceptable.
- Cell phones are not to be used while working but may be used during designated break times.
- Cell phones may be used in designated areas only such as the break room, or outside the building.
- Employees should not use cell phones while at the front desk or in the areas where patients receive treatments.
The above statements are some of the possible policies you could implement in your dental practice. As each office is different, consider the boundaries of your office, what is HIPAA-compliant, and the laws that govern your state as you instill cell phone policies in your practice. The overall goal is to be thorough without being too restrictive and enforcing the policies with discipline or termination for multiple offenses.
Points to Consider:
- The legality of your policies – When creating policies, it is critical to ensure that your restrictions and language do not violate local, state, or federal laws.
- HIPAA training and compliance – Although HIPAA training and compliance are separate policies, they are interrelated with cell phone use and patient confidentiality. For example, safeguarding personal health information is a requirement of HIPAA responsibilities. Therefore, staff should know they cannot photograph, post, share, or discuss any personal patient information on the internet without the express consent of the patient. To uphold HIPAA policies, all employees must understand the severe consequences of a HIPAA violation.
- Carefully regulate break times – Depending on the laws of your state, you may not be able to mandate whether an employee can use their cell phone during their personal break time. Before setting cell phone use policies, research your local laws, or contact an attorney who could help you establish a policy where everyone should be protected.
- Know your responsibilities – As an employer, you must understand what legal consequences you could encounter if an employee breaks the policy. Also, to help protect the employee’s rights and the reputation of your practice, it could be a good idea to maintain calm, engaging conversations so the situation could be handled quietly without embarrassment for either party.
Considering cell phones can capture private information in your dental practice, it is recommended that a cell phone policy is instituted to protect you, your staff, practice, and patient confidentiality. To ensure that the policy is enforceable and provides full protection, it is highly recommended to request assistance from an expert. At Bryant Consultants, we understand this may be a sensitive subject, or one that you aren’t comfortable handling. If you have additional questions or need help finding resources, feel free to contact Bryant Consultants at (877) 768-4799 or contact us today.
