Texting and E-mail with Patients

Presented by Kelly Epperson, Vice President and General Counsel at Rosecrance Health Network

Friday, October 12, 2018  -  9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Free: 2.75 CEU's for attending this training 

                                              (IAODAPCA pending)

Who Should Attend: Psychiatrist (MD), Psychiatric Nurse (RN), Psychologist (Ph.D), Social Worker (MSW), Mental Health Counselor, Mental Health Therapist, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), and other mental health professionals. 

Texting and E-mail with Patients 

A Brief Primer on HIPAA and the Rules for Texting, E-mailing, and Managing the Security of Patient Information

Summary of Specific Issues to be Covered:

Can you text or email your patients? If you do so, are you in compliance with HIPAA? An overview of the HIPAA Privacy Rule will be provided, along with its applicability, limits on the use and disclosure of PHI, patient rights under the Rule, and administrative requirements. This session will also discuss the HIPAA Security Rule and how it applies to the use of texting and email for patient communication. Finally, we will cover recent HIPAA settlements and enforcement actions to plot a safe and effective path forward.

For providers subject to HIPAA, the stakes are high. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights has been active in its enforcement of HIPAA. Any violation of the complex rule can expose providers to penalties. This session will help ensure providers can take the necessary steps to protect their practices by complying with the Rule.

Topics to Be Discussed:

• A Brief Primer on HIPAA will be provided including the requirements under both the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule.
• Learn about the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights regarding electronic patient communications.
• What if something goes wrong? Learn about breach notifications, the steps that must be followed in the event of a breach, potential penalties under HIPAA, and how to mitigate a breach.
• Attendees will learn how to identify risks in their own practices and how to respond and implement safeguards to mitigate those risks.
• Learn about the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 and the limits it places on automatic telephone dialing and automatic texting systems.
• Key documentation of a compliant covered entity will be discussed, along with available resources to develop a solid documentation practice.