I’m sitting in my mother’s hospital room. It is in a new, modern, well thought-out addition to the Toledo Hospital. There is even high-speed Internet access via Wi-Fi. However, the hospital’s IT department blocks social networking sites. Why?
If it’s for security, why bother? I can access Facebook and Twitter from my iPhone and iPad using other tools. For example, I sent a Facebook post (just because I could) using my email. I continued to receive friend updates via email and text messaging. I could also post photos or video from my iPhone. So any HIPAA compliance intent is fully circumvented.
If the hospital is blocking social networking to preserve bandwidth, it needs to reconsider. Today’s patients–and their families–have integrated 24/7 social contact into their lifestyles. Blocking access is simply a poor business decision.
Finally, they may block blogging before my next visit, given that I am writing this on my iPad will sitting in my mom’s room…
Tom Olzak on Security 