Why Physicians Should Use Secure Interactive Messaging
We recently wrote a blog discussing the fact that the Joint Commission has banned the use of traditional SMS texting for any communication that contains PHI data. Having a HIPAA violation for any unsecured message that contains PHI can result in substantial fines.
Partnering with an experienced doctor’s telephone answering service is one of the most important things you can do to stay compliant. Here is a great tool to assist you during your vetting process as you seek out the best medical answering service for your practice.
Your medical answering service is considered a business associate by the Federal Government therefore; you should be 100% positive that they provide HIPAA compliant services. Secure messaging is the best way to minimize risk of a violation when it comes to conveying patient information.
Here are the top 5 reasons why physicians and other medical professionals use secure interactive messaging:
Ability for recipients to reply with an encrypted/secure response.- Designates high priority messages and displays them at the top of the message list.
- Message verification when opened and read.
- Provides a reporting trail.
- Can be used over WiFi and operates inside buildings, where sometimes wireless telephone/pager service can fail.
Here’s a brief summary of how our SIM service works. This messaging method allows you to receive critical information via our secure servers. As soon as a message is taken, a web link is emailed or texted, notifying you that there’s a message waiting. This link serves only as a notification that you have a new message and it is securely available. By opening the link, you’ll be directed to a secure login page where you can access your inbox and view your messages. These messages are housed on our servers and never outsourced to a third-party or stored on your phone.
