Sick patient receiving TeleHealth treatment

Healthcare providers, particularly those in behavioral health, have an opportunity to remain operational and even increase profitability using TeleHealth. If you’re not familiar with TeleHealth, it’s a means of treating or meeting with patients using digital audio/visual capabilities commonly installed on laptop computers, notebooks, and smartphones. It uses an Internet connection that enables your patients to stay home for appointments that are billable and convenient.

Skype, FaceTime, and other video-conferencing applications are not HIPAA compliant. Using those for patient care means accepting considerable liability risks. Healthcare providers understand the importance of patient information privacy, but don’t always understand the power and risks of technological solutions.

In order to ensure that a TeleHealth platform doesn’t break your HIPAA compliance you’ll have to research their policies and ensure they at least offer a “Business Associate Agreement” (BAA), which is a requirement of HIPAA for your vendors. You’ll also need a Virtual Private Network which keeps your communication secure regardless of whether you or your patients use WiFi or an Ethernet connection. The current crisis presents an opportunity to become HIPAA compliant, if you aren’t already or to find out if you’re not. While continuing to see patients through the current crisis, you are also test driving this capability and can evaluate its potential role in your business going forward. 

With a few simple steps and minimal investment (some platforms offer a free level of service), you can dramatically expand your accessibility to your patients and add billable appointments in any day.

Call today 302-765-8696 or email guy@weknowcyber to discuss TeleHealth, secure SMS, Virtual Private Networking (VPN), HIPAA compliant policies, and all your cybersecurity needs. Visit our web page that focuses on TeleHealth and continuing operations through this trying time at https://weknowcyber.com/remote-work-cybersolution. We’ll give you a free consult to assess your current HIPAA posture and arm you with a pathway for your cybersolutions.