HIPAA compliant text messaging is a secure way to communicate with patients and colleagues. It involves using secure software apps and meeting HIPAA rules for encryption, access controls, training, and auditing.
For example, if a patient sends a message that includes exact dates and procedures, or shares test results, you would need to be HIPAA Compliant Email in storing that communication.
Encryption
Encryption is a method of scrambling information so that only those with the right key can read it. It is used for a variety of purposes, including to protect sensitive data.
When using HIPAA compliant text messaging, you need to encrypt messages so that they can’t be intercepted during transmission. This helps prevent PHI from falling into the wrong hands, and it protects sensitive data from corporate espionage, brute force attacks, or other cyber threats.
You should also use encryption methods to verify the origin of messages (identity verification) and ensure they are delivered and received correctly (non-repudiation). This will help boost patient confidence in your organization and reduce the risk of PHI being sent to the wrong person.
Healthcare organizations must warn patients about the risks of unauthorized disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) and obtain their written consent before sending any electronic communications, including texts. Fortunately, there are many ways to achieve this.
Access Controls
HIPAA compliant text messaging requires appropriate access controls, audit controls and secure storage for messages containing ePHI. This is because mobile devices with PHI can be lost or stolen, exposing the data to unauthorized access.
Therefore, the only way to protect sensitive health information is through encryption, which transforms it into an unreadable form, requiring a decryption key to read it. This is not only the only way to secure ePHI but also the only way to meet certain HIPAA requirements, such as encryption in transit.
Access to messages containing ePHI should be limited, with the possibility of a role-based authorization system. This allows for a variety of permissions to be set, and it makes it easier for covered entities to comply with HIPAA requirements.
Training
Text messaging is a convenient and easy way to communicate with patients. However, healthcare organizations need to take care to ensure that their text messages are HIPAA compliant.
This is because health care communications differ from regular communications in a number of ways, including the exchange of sensitive information. The content of a text message can include patient personal information and healthcare data such as medical records, prescriptions and insurance policies.
To ensure that texting remains HIPAA compliant, healthcare organizations must establish policies and train staff on them. These policies must cover encryption standards, the type of healthcare information that can be shared via secure text message and who can send and receive these texts.
Compliance
HIPAA compliant text messaging is a form of communication that adheres to the strict rules set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The law protects patients’ privacy by regulating how healthcare organizations can use and disclose patient health information.
For a healthcare organization to remain HIPAA compliant, they need to put policies in place that limit the access to and use of protected health information (PHI). These policies must cover all employees who work with PHI.
A business text messaging platform like MessageDesk comes with user permissions and access controls that make it easy to restrict access to a patient’s medical information to only those who need to see it.
Conclusion
Another important compliance rule is that text messages must be encrypted on both the sender and recipient devices. This helps prevent unauthorized parties from stealing and intercepting PHI while it’s in transit.
