Good Email Practices for HIPAA Compliance

Email is a convenient channel to communicate with patients, helping to arrange appointments and send reminders. Recognizing the threat email poses to patient privacy, you must adhere to HIPAA rules when sharing private medical information. Use a HIPAA compliant email to prevent hackers and other unauthorized individuals from intercepting your communications. Here are a few good email practices for your healthcare facility to stay compliant:

Monitor Email Activity

Tracking email activity in your practice assists you in maintaining a secure communication system among your staff and patients. Monitoring login attempts, message history, and access points aids you in identifying anomalies in your communication channels. It is a proactive approach to eliminate cases of unauthorized access to patient information. Regularly reviewing email activity also aids you in preventing data breaches that may result from malicious emails.

Check your audit trails to measure how your practice adheres to policies regarding email communication. Keep records of email activities, including sent and received messages, for security evaluation and to prevent cases of phishing attacks. These records can also help you confirm that your employees handle patient information while observing HIPAA compliance. Regular monitoring not only protects sensitive data but also guards your organization against regulatory penalties.

Limit PHI Use

Do not overuse personal health information in email communications to avoid drawing the attention of hackers, who may cause data leaks. Confirm you only send the minimum details required to fulfill a purpose, such as scheduling or confirming appointments. Limit the inclusion of PHI in email subject lines. Hackers can be attracted to subject lines containing sensitive data, making your practice vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Detailed PHI, like medical history and diagnoses, should be kept out of emails unless your email is encrypted. Using encrypted email servers allows you to share sensitive information without affecting patient privacy. If you have to exchange large amounts of PHI via email, use secure file transfer services or password-protected attachments. You can also use general information in your subject line to prevent exposure to sensitive data.

Back Up Emails

Server crashes or accidental deletions may lead to your office losing necessary data. Backing up your email data allows you to recover communications with your patients in case of such instances. It’s also a requirement for HIPAA to have backups for all electronic protected health information. You can choose to back up your data on an external server or use cloud storage solutions. Training your staff on how to back up data regularly can also reduce the risk of losing patient records sent through your HIPAA compliant email.

Include Opting Out Mechanisms

Providing an unsubscribing mechanism in your channel of communication allows recipients to choose whether they want to continue receiving your emails. This is one way you can respect the preferences and rights of your email subscribers in case they notice unusual or suspicious activity in their inbox.

Opt-out mechanisms also help support a relevant email list for your practice. You reduce the likelihood of emails being marked as spam, which could interfere with your communication line. Patients expect you to manage communication with them to reduce the probability of receiving irrelevant content via email. Sending irrelevant emails or being flagged as spam could result in losing trust. 

Conduct Risk Assessments

Risk assessments allow you to identify vulnerabilities in your email communication and develop an incident response plan for your practice. You can hire an external expert to assess your practice’s email communication based on your data volume. Using the findings from these assessments, you can take corrective actions like revising access permissions or updating your encryption methods. You can also use this as an opportunity to enlighten your employees on best practices for email security. Being HIPAA compliant also means having a plan for handling security incidents affecting your practice.

Use a HIPAA Compliant Email Service

Choosing a HIPAA compliant email service is a step toward meeting data security requirements in your practice. These services safeguard your emails with encryption to protect your data during transit and when it is stored in your inbox. Unlike standard email servers, HIPAA compliant email platforms can offer you the required security to protect PHI from breaches. Reach out to a reputable email service provider for quotes and system specifications.

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