patient portal [pii_email_8b594ed3a5d5f71d1b36]

How do you set up a patient portal?

The Patient Portal is stored on a secure server and communications with the server are encrypted. However, be aware that no encryption method can be guaranteed to be unbreachable. Additionally, if you store screen shots of data on your computer or print out information from the Patient Portal, those copies would not be protected.

How to get your patients to use your patient portal?

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How to access patient portal?

To ensure that you are receiving Patient Portal emails please do the following: Add NextMD.com to your contact list, address list, safe list, or "Do Not Block" list. If you are using your own spam filtering software, please be sure that you are not filtering out email from NextMD.com. Account will be locked for 20 minutes after 4 failed login ...

How to use your patient portal?

Nov 23, 2021 · My employer plans to replace a patient portal product in the future. The patient portal allows the patient to send secure messages to their care provider as well as view lab results, renew prescriptions and schedule appointments. With the current patient portal, the patient’s email address is collected and stored as demographic data.

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the appropriate Security Rule safeguards, such as an email system that encrypts messages or requires patient login, as with a patient portal. If you use an EHR system that is certified under ONC's 2014 Certification Rule, your EHR should have the capability of allowing your patients to communicate with your office through the office's

How do you protect messages initiated by patients?

How do you protect messages initiated by patients? According to the HHS, the healthcare provider can assume (unless the patient has explicitly stated otherwise) that email communications are acceptable to the individual. Providers should assume the patient is not aware of the possible risks of using unencrypted email. The provider can alert the patient of those risks, and let the patient decide whether to continue email communications. Remember, you must provide alternate secure methods of providing the information to the patient.

What is PHI encryption?

Encryption. Encryption is a way to make data unreadable at rest and during transmission. Emails including PHI shouldn’t be transmitted unless the email is encrypted using a third-party program or encryption with 3DES, AES, or similar algorithms. If the PHI is in the body text, the message must be encrypted.

What is a disclaimer in an email?

A disclaimer on your emails should merely inform patients and recipients that the information is PHI and should be treated as such. Your legal department can assist with the verbiage. The key to remember is that no disclaimers will alleviate your responsibility to send ePHI in a secure manner.

Can doctors send PHI to work email?

Doctors sometimes work on cases on home computers and then email PHI to their work email. Unless each of those emails is secured with encryption, that would be considered a HIPAA violation.

Should mass emails be avoided?

Mass emails should be avoided. But, if you do need to send mass messages, use a mail merge program or HIPAA compliant service which creates a separate email for each recipient. The danger of using BCC? Email addresses aren’t usually hidden to hackers.

Is PHI secure in transit?

HIPAA requires that PHI remains secure both at rest and in transit. That means PHI must be protected (e.g., by unique user accounts and passwords) while sitting on workstations and servers and encrypted each time the email crosses the Internet or other insecure networks.

Can attachments be encrypted?

If it’s part of an attachment, the attachment can be encrypted instead. Unlike email in transit, encrypting email at rest is an addressable requirement, which means if you don’t implement it, you need to have solid documentation explaining why.

Who is Steve Alder?

Author: Steve Alder has many years of experience as a journalist, and comes from a background in market research. He is a specialist on legal and regulatory affairs, and has several years of experience writing about HIPAA.

Does HIPAA require encryption?

HIPAA does not require the use of encryption. Encryption is only an addressable standard. However, if, following a risk assessment, the decision is taken not to use encryption, an alternative and equivalent security measure must be used in its place.