Smartphone and social media: we can only dare? Information Systems in HealthcareThe cliché “Large as life” (large, very large) is what smartphones have become in today's society because they occupy our lives, our jobs, our schools, our entertainment and the way we communicate. The smartphone is one of the many technological necessities that make it easier and faster to connect with family and friends near and far. Because there are many opportunities and challenges related to the use of smartphones in healthcare, not all of them are beneficial. Losses will outweigh profits gained when the well-being and livelihoods of patients and healthcare workers are compromised. Even though smartphones have some advantages and disadvantages, the jury is still out on whether the advantages of the smartphone outweigh the disadvantages in healthcare and social media. Especially when smartphones are misused at work to the detriment of patient privacy. For example, a 23-year-old model was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago last June for excessive alcohol consumption. An emergency room doctor reportedly took photos of her in which she appeared anxious and disheveled. Another example, an off-duty employee at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, photographed an attractive female patient in the emergency department and posted the image on Facebook, with the bland and perverse caption "I like what I like ". He and several colleagues involved in this misconduct are now free to seek employment opportunities elsewhere (Kinsey 2014). These incidents are a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), federal privacy and security rules that have...... middle of paper ..... . personal effects. I think Ben Franklin summed it up best: “Bad wins are real losses.” 2012; 5:105-114. Published online August 27, 2012. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S34813PMCID: PMC3437811http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3437811/http://www.healthmgttech.com/articles/201302/ challenges- and-benefits-in-a-mobile-medical-world.phphttp://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/01/doctors_on_social_media_share_embarrassing_photos_details_of_patients.htmlSet limits on smartphone use in hospitalsby RACHEL J. KATZ, MD on DECEMBER 24, 2013http://blogs.einstein.yu.edu/setting-boundaries-on-smartphone-use-in-hospitals/