HIPAA Compliant Messaging App
What is a HIPAA Compliant Messaging App? A HIPAA compliant messaging app is an integral part of a secure messaging solution that can help healthcare organizations and other covered entities comply with the technical requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule. Having a similar interface and providing the same functionality as a commercially available messaging app, a HIPAA compliant messaging app has additional safeguards in place to protect the integrity of Protected Health Information (PHI) and prevent unauthorized disclosure. Messaging apps for HIPAA compliant texting can be downloaded onto any desktop computer or mobile device, making them the ideal replacement for unsecure channels of communication such as pagers, SMS and email – particularly in a healthcare environment that encourages a BYOD policy. What´s Different about Messaging Apps for HIPAA Compliant Texting? From a user point of view, there are few differences between messaging apps for HIPAA compliant texting and commercially available messaging apps. Once logged in, users can send text messages, attach images and...
Webinar: How HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Transforms Healthcare
Data show 70% of delays in providing treatment to patients is due to miscommunication, so resolving the problems that result in miscommunication in healthcare is key to improving quality of care, clinical outcomes, and the patient experience. One of the biggest contributory factors to miscommunication is the use of outdated communications systems, which has long been a problem in healthcare. Fortunately, there is a solution that has been shown to greatly improve communication efficiency and reduce the potential for errors and miscommunication – a secure texting platform. To find out more about secure, HIPAA-compliant messaging and how it can make care teams immediately more efficient and effective, we invite you to join this upcoming webinar. During the webinar you will discover how this single change can lead to major improvements in collaboration, save valuable time, decrease costs, and lead to happier staff and patients. The webinar is being hosted by TigerConnect, the leading secure healthcare messaging provider, and will take place on Wednesday, December 9 at 10 a.m. PT / 1...
Is Text Messaging HIPAA Compliant?
Text messaging is not HIPAA compliant, and unencrypted SMS messages should not be used for communicating ePHI unless a patient has initiated contact by SMS or requested provider-patient communications by text message – in which case healthcare providers can use text messaging provided reasonable safeguards are applied. Given its ease of use, many healthcare organizations and professionals may wonder is text messaging HIPAA compliant. The answer is generally “no,” but there are exceptions. Although there are circumstances in which SMS text messaging can be HIPAA compliant, they are few and far between – making it safer for covered entities to prohibit texting electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) rather than risk a penalty for violating HIPAA. While HIPAA does not prohibit sending PHI by text, for texting to be HIPAA compliant, safeguards must be in place to verify the identity of the recipient, warn the recipient of the risks of sending ePHI by text, and document the recipient acknowledges the risks but wants to continue regardless Why It’s Safer to...
HIPAA Compliant Instant Messaging
HIPAA compliant instant messaging is a secure method of communication that requires minimal set up, configuration, and instruction, as most of the required safeguards are installed by default on mobile and desktop apps. Users will have little difficulty in understanding how to use the apps in compliance with HIPAA due to their similarity with popular consumer instant messaging apps. The Instant Messaging Revolution The first instant messaging services were introduced in the late 1990s and proved to be a popular method of communication. With 3G and the growth in use of mobile devices, instant messaging soared in popularity and changed the way people communicate. Today, instant messaging platforms allow users to send text messages, audio, video, and other files free of charge. With figures suggesting 72.2% of individuals in the United States have a smartphone, and the ability to use instant messaging services across a range of different devices, instant messaging really does mean it is possible to communicate with people in an instant, no matter where they are located. Instant...
Is Facebook Messenger HIPAA Compliant?
Facebook Messenger is not HIPAA compliant and cannot be used to collect or disclose Protected Health Information (PHI) unless a patient who is the subject of the PHI has requested to communicate via the messaging app. Even in these circumstances, precautions must be taken to prevent impermissible disclosures of PHI. Facebook Messenger is a popular messaging app through which individuals and groups can chat, call, and video each other. In the healthcare industry, the Facebook Messenger for Business service can be used to raise public awareness about health issues, tackle misinformation, promote citizen engagement, and communicate emergency situations or critical incidents. However, personal messaging between healthcare providers and individual patients is not permitted by HIPAA when messages include PHI. This is because Facebook Messenger does not meet the requirements to be a business associate, and has “persistent access” to PHI (even when messages are encrypted), so is not exempted from HIPAA compliance under the Conduit Exception Rule. Is it Possible to Make Facebook Messenger...
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