Court: Posting patient's photo on social media not illegal The Minnesota Court of Appeals says a nurse's aide at senior care facility didn't violate the law when she posted a photo of a patient with Alzheimer's disease on social mediaMINNEAPOLIS -- A senior care facility nurse's aide did not violate state law when she posted a photo of a patient with Alzheimer's disease on social media because the photo itself was not a health record and didn't violate the patient's privacy, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled. The ruling, issued last week, found that since the 2017 social media post provided no other identifying information, it wasn't a health record. In its review, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals considered whether the post and photo should be classified as a health record. Peter Sandberg, an attorney for the patient’s husband, said the court failed to recognize the “potent threat” posed by social media. "A smartphone is a potent tool for invading someone's privacy," Sandberg told The Associated Press, "and what's posted on social media can become a permanent stain."

Source: ABC News February 07, 2020 16:52 UTC