E-mailing, Texting, and the Use of Personal Devices by Healthcare Professionals HIPAA and Privacy Myths vs Reality - Recorded Webinar

Description

This informative webinar begins with the most basic of questions: Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule permit health care providers to use e-mail to discuss health issues and treatment with their patients?

Find out the answer and examine how the privacy rules of HIPAA allow covered entities and health care providers to communicate electronically, such as through e-mail or texting, with their patients and with other health care practitioners, but only provided those health care practitioners apply reasonable safeguards when doing so.This is mandated by federal administrative regulation.

Specifically, certain precautions need to be taken when using e-mail to avoid unintentional disclosures, such as checking the e-mail address for accuracy before sending, or sending an e-mail alert to the patient for address confirmation prior to sending the message.

Who should attend

• Health Care Attorneys
• Corporate Compliance officers in Health Care
• Medical Records Staff of Medical Offices and Health Care Entities
• Hospital Attorneys
• Health Care Practitioners Who are Covered Entities
• Law Enforcement Officers in Health Care Compliance
• State Boards and Agencies with Jurisdiction Over State Licenses to Practice a Health Care Profession

Why should you attend

While the basic provisions of privacy for protected health information are well known, their application in today’s world of electronic and personal communication devices is complex – such as texting, e-mailing, and using personal devices such as smart phones and tablet computers. In addition to HIPAA rules, various state licensure laws exist to require confidential information be kept confidential.

Many security rules regarding protected health information involve how and when protected health information is to be kept confidential and not accessible to others outside of direct patient care. But what is protected health information? Can communications not involving such protected health information be transmitted by non-confidential and non-secure methods? Is even a patient name protected health information?

The ability to text or e-mail health care practitioners and other staff and patients has become a priority for many health care entities and practitioners, especially solo health care practitioners with limited support staff. Maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality is necessary to make sure covered entities meet compliance standards of HIPAA and state licensure laws.

Speaker

[caption id="attachment_3897" align="alignnone" width="150"] Mark R. Brengelman[/caption]

Mark worked as the assigned counsel to numerous health professions licensure boards as an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Moving to private practice, he now helps private clients in a wide variety of contexts who are professionally licensed.

Mark became interested in the law when he graduated with both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Philosophy from Emory University in Atlanta. He then earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law. In 1995, Mark became an Assistant Attorney General and focused in the area of administrative and professional law where he represented multiple boards as General Counsel and Prosecuting Attorney.

Mark is a frequent participant in continuing education and has been a presenter for over thirty national and state organizations and private companies, including webinars and in-person seminars. National and state organizations include the Kentucky Bar Association, the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, and the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute.