HIPAA lets providers text patients, but is it secure?
Partner Erin Whaley is quoted several times throughout a MobiHealthNews story titled, “HIPAA lets providers text patients, but is it secure?” The article notes how texting between patients and health care providers is becoming more common and focuses on the platforms and associated security features for protecting patient data. Whaley is quoted, saying, “When it comes to texting with a patient, if a patient understands the risk of the unsecured communication and consents to communicating in that manner, then the provider can communicate in that manner.” She added, “The provider has to think about the other security mechanisms and other ways they can mitigate risk with that device. For instance, when you send a text message that remains on your phone — if your phone is stolen all of those texts can be accessed. The provider should think about how long are they storing those messages on their phone, and it has to be password protected. They want to look at ways to remotely wipe their phones if they are stolen. There are programs out there you can download on your phone, and if the password is incorrect three times, your phone is automatically restored to [default] setting.” |