The key in striking a balance between convenience and compliance lies in finding a solution that does the hard work of communicating securely for you. There's no shortage of options for communicating, but many secure e-mail technologies can leave much to be desired. Flexible solutions that allow you to set permissions according to their sensitivity are ideal.
It isn't necessary - and maybe even inappropriate - to treat all information equally. If a file itself is encrypted, access and modification can be audited even if it was mistakenly downloaded.ĥ. That's why the best HIPAA-compliant sharing tools will help prevent or create solutions for mistakes by showing just what was attached and offering the ability to revoke access to the wrong recipient. We're all familiar with the horror stories and HIPAA fines that have been levied against practices that mistakenly e-mailed lab results to the wrong patient or faxed a form to the wrong number. Many easy-to-use secure providers don't include a safety net for mistakes. If you have file encryption, you can use e-mail and Dropbox the same way you would in your personal life - just more securely.Ĥ. In those deployments, it's essential to ensure that your Dropbox files are encrypted and HIPAA-compliant. In some ways, the cloud presents the ideal all-in-one solution, eliminating the need for e-mail attachments by allowing you to store and share links or folders themselves. So the expensive EHR system you've built or bought is nothing more than a loophole to circumvent. The cost of inconvenience is too high, because inconvenience often leads users to seek out workarounds that aren't compliant, including popular cloud services like Dropbox. The best solutions will integrate seamlessly with other work flows. The issue, of course, is that practices need to keep detailed records - and the best place for that, in my humble opinion, is the cloud. Many encrypted e-mail services that purport to comply with HIPAA destroy messages after a set period of time. With built-in authentication controls, file-level encryption also eliminates the threats associated with mistakenly entering the wrong e-mail address.Ģ.
File-level encryption ensures that protections follow the file no matter where it ends up. Here are five tips to help practices communicate with patients and other provider and business associates while maintaining airtight security.ġ. Many HIPAA-compliant e-mail providers are simply adding yet another system to your already disconnected work flows, rather than integrating seamlessly or solving some of the other problems you have, like storing files and auditing access. E-mail encryption services exist for handling simple text correspondence with patients by scrambling the messages and sending them through a secure connection. Whether they're voice recordings, digital X-rays, intake forms, or medical bills, it's essential to encrypt the files themselves.įinding the right solution, though, is another story. After all, the real threat lies in what comes appended to the e-mail. Although most secure e-mail tools focus on the body text of an e-mail, that part might not even be necessary to encrypt. That's why encryption is so often the means through which healthcare providers guarantee HIPAA compliance. Encryption essentially scrambles messages so that they're only legible by intended users. The question, of course, is where all that leaves most practices. Files, in turn, often get duplicated and cached on devices, making them hard to easily track or protect. So when we talk about the risks facing medical practices when it comes to communicating, it's about files-not simple text messages. That's because sensitive data typically resides in files. Most e-mail security solutions focus on simple text, but the real risk comes with files and attachments. It's harder than ever to ignore e-mail, just as it's becoming more difficult to embrace it in good conscience. To deliver the best care possible, it's essential to meet patients on their terms. Like it or not, e-mail is synonymous with accessibility. They're far too burdensome for both practitioner and patient. It's time to retire the usual stable of secure alternatives to e-mail, like patient portals, faxes, or snail mail. Even with the advent of EHRs, data exchange methods haven't kept pace with industry expectations for privacy and convenience.
Methods for transferring protected health information (PHI) have been broken for a long time.
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