UMA Social Media Policy

Purpose

The UMA Social Media Policy and best practices are important for everyone to understand and apply to UMA’s social media platforms. The policy will provide a positive experience and benefit producing efficient and consistent communications for UMA and its members, officers, and agencies.

Objectives

  • Expand reach with all Utah Physicians, residents, fellows, and medical students.
  • Build trust with members and the community.
  • Promote CME, healthcare, and events.
  • Advance advocacy, fundraising, and grant programs.Application and Reporting

This policy applies to all UMA social media accounts, web, email, and messaging technologies. UMA will try its best to review every comment or post. UMA reserves the right to remove any that violate the policy that, in our sole discretion, we otherwise consider objectionable. We may ban offenders (users and accounts) from social communities that breach policy. We take our responsibility to our online community with the utmost priority. We will report any comment that implies criminal intent or harm to others or self to the proper authorities.

Confidential or proprietary information about UMA, officers, employees, agencies, members, students, or others with UMA affiliation, or any other persons that would violate that person's rights to privacy under applicable federal and state laws and regulations, including but not limited to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the UMA policies and resolutions may not be posted on a UMA Social Media Account. Please report to [email protected]. In addition, UMA reserves the right to change the policy without express notice.

Moderation

Community-contributed comments on UMA social media platforms and pages are their author’s opinion and do not represent UMA. While members are encouraged to use features of social media to promote and engage with UMA, when commenting, all comments will be moderated by an authorized staff member. UMA-authorized staff and officers acting in an official capacity on behalf of UMA and any of its agencies shall act and comment on the policies governing communications. 

UMA encourages community members to respond to posts and share constructive and courteous comments toward the community. Statements and opinions expressed by visitors to UMA accounts do not reflect the views of UMA. Please feel to contact UMA or the Executive staff and officers for information. UMA invites differing opinions, but the primary purpose is to serve member communities. While UMA welcomes criticism and feedback, personal attacks on authors or continual and repeated criticism of content will be removed.

UMA reserves all rights and shall review content, comments, and tags and may remove comments which:

  • Not topically related to the post content;
  • Shout (All Caps);
  • Are spamming in nature, or comments posted repeatedly or by a bot;
  • Link to unrelated websites or content;
  • Contain threats, harassing language, or tone;
  • Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity or incite violence;
  • Contain defamatory, false, or libelous statements and misleading or deceptive information;
  • Profane or vulgar language and content, harmful to minors, or obscene — including masked profanity where symbols, initials, intentional misspellings, or other characters are used to suggest profane language.
  • Contain hate speech directed to a protected class of individuals or promotes hate;
  • Solicit commerce and donations to non-UMA agencies or persons;
  • Share information that may compromise the safety or security of the member systems or the public;
  • Contain content that violates a legal ownership interest of any party or organization;
  • Promote or oppose any person campaigning for election to a political office or promote or oppose any resolution or ballot proposition; 
  • Disclose information that UMA officers and employees are required to keep confidential by law or regulation.
Content or comments of the above found on social networking or social media platform will be edited, revised, or removed from the site. Only comments that comply with policy standards will be approved for posting by authorized staff. Communications made through social media, Web, email, and messaging systems will in no way constitute a legal or official notice or comment to UMA, agencies, or any officer or staff for any purpose.

UMA Member Best Practices Policy - How to Connect, Cultivate, and Increase Engagement while Promoting UMA

  • Use privacy settings to safeguard personal information. Keep personal separate from professional profiles.
  • Be truthful about credentials, employment, and conflicts of interest.
  • Protect your reputation and career brand by avoiding strong bias and socio-political statements.
  • Keep existing social media channels active. Cancel/close old or dormant accounts that are no longer used.
  • Respond to positive and negative reviews and comments – don’t lose your cool when addressing critical comments. Move the conversation to phone or email as quickly as possible.
  • Ensure or monitor your shared information is accurate and appropriate and include reliable links to reference web pages.
  • Add hashtags (#) to posts to help make them easier to search, find and reach but don’t overdo it.
  • Maintain appropriate boundaries of the patient-physician relationship when interacting with patients online. Comply with HIPAA to protect patient privacy and maintain confidentiality on social media, including messaging platforms.
  • Advertise UMA social media handles in email communications.
  • Share your UMA member testimonial to increase membership and engagement.
  • Proof and ensure your post is UMA compliant. Post appropriate photos and content. Keep it professional, representing UMA.

Compliance

Our first responsibility is to UMA members to ensure their community, benefits, and engagement is an excellent experience. Audits will be performed regularly to ensure the integrity of UMA’s social media representation and its agencies. Any accounts or comments that contain inappropriate, unauthorized, confidential, and proprietary information may be removed.

If you have comments or questions regarding the UMA Social Media Policy, please contact Marketing.

Discriminatory or ethical questions? Contact the UMA CEO.

Last Reviewed June 20, 2023