Vitalité Health Network’s netiquette
These netiquette guidelines are intended to promote respectful interactions on Vitalité Health Network’s social media platforms. The Network reserves the right to modify these terms of use as it deems appropriate, without prior notice.
Use of platforms
- The platforms used by the Network are Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
- We encourage the use of the Network's platforms to post comments, provided that they are respectful and relevant to the ongoing discussion.
- The Network's posts are available in French and English.
- The Network's platforms are not monitored continuously.
- The Network's social media platforms are official communication channels. However, the Network’s policies, guidelines, notices, and other official documents are published on its website: www.vitalitenb.ca.
Participation rules
- Avoid messages written in uppercase letters. Such messages can be perceived as shouting or aggression and make the text harder to read. Any message written entirely in uppercase letters (with the exception of abbreviations and acronyms) could be removed.
- The Network cannot address specific issues or individual cases involving health care workers or patients, nor can it disclose confidential information—including information regarding complaints or investigations—through its platforms.
- The Network does not participate in personal, partisan or political debates.
- The opinions expressed by users do not represent those of the Network.
Content moderation
The Network reserves the right to remove, hide, or refuse to publish posts (including photos, videos, and recordings), or to block a user, particularly when the content includes:
- personal or confidential information regarding patients, their families, or health care workers;
- racist, sexist, homophobic, hateful, or violent comments;
- personal attacks, insults, harassment or threats;
- content intended to intimidate, harass, threaten or target a staff member or patient, including through comments, posts, images, videos, recordings, or the disclosure of personal information;
- pornographic, obscene, or offensive content;
- false or unfounded accusations against a person or an organization;
- unauthorized partisan or promotional content;
- copyrighted content without authorization;
- messages that are off-topic, repetitive, incomprehensible or written entirely in uppercase letters;
- posts from automated accounts (bots);
- links or images that lead to prohibited content.
Respect for health care workers
The Network takes seriously any instance of harassment, intimidation or threats directed at a member of its staff while performing their duties.
When such situations arise on the Network's platforms, the content may be removed and the users involved may be blocked.
Although the Network cannot control the content published on external platforms, it may, where circumstances warrant:
- request that the content be removed or report it to the relevant platform;
- provide support or advice to the staff member in question;
- communicate with the appropriate authorities in the event of threats or conduct that may constitute criminal offenses.
Employees who are victims of or witnesses to threatening posts or harassment related to their work are encouraged to promptly notify their manager and the Communications Department so that the situation can be assessed.
Complaints and privacy
The Network does not address formal complaints, ongoing investigations, or personal matters through social media.
If you have any concerns or would like to file a complaint, please speak with a member of your care team first. If this does not resolve the issue, please contact the Quality and Patient Safety Department.
If you have any questions regarding confidentiality, please review the Network’s Privacy Statement and contact the Privacy Office.
Other information
The Network is not responsible for the content of external websites accessible via hyperlinks published in its posts or in the comments.
The Network is not required to remove a message at the request of a user. Comments posted on its platforms are public. The Network reserves the right to remove, hide, or retain comments in accordance with this netiquette and at its discretion.
Journalists are invited to contact the Communications Department at
