HIPAA and Privacy Concerns: Telehealth Technology Considerations

February 6, 2024

HIPAA and Privacy Concerns: Telehealth Technology Considerations

The telehealth platform you use should meet HIPAA requirements.

All telehealth services provided by covered health care providers and health plans must comply with the HIPAA Rules.

This means only using technology vendors that comply with HIPAA Rules and will enter into HIPAA business associate agreements .

Resources:

Trainings by American Institute of Healthcare Compliance (AIHC)

Telehealth Resources for Patients and Providers

November 17, 2023

Telehealth Resources for Patients and Providers

Last month the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released two new resources for patients to increase understanding around protecting health information when receiving health care services via telehealth. The first document is more extensive and geared toward providers informing patients, while the second contains direct recommendations to patients:

Provider Resource

Patient Resource

The guidance documents are intended to help educate patients about potential privacy risks when using telehealth and ways to mitigate such risks.

Patient and Provider Featured Telehealth Resources

October 17, 2023

Patient and Provider Featured Telehealth Resources

Want to learn more about telehealth? Need resources to guide your organization towards telehealth? Telehealth.HHS.gov shares trusted telehealth resources for patients and providers.

Resources for Providers Include:

  • Getting started with telehealth
    • How to evaluate telehealth vendors and begin offering care through telemedicine
  • Planning your telehealth workflow
    • How to set up and manage a workflow for virtual visits
  • Health equity in telehealth
    • How health care providers can improve access to telehealth for all populations
  • Preparing patients for telehealth
    • From scheduling to privacy, learn how to prepare your patients for virtual appointments to ensure their comfort and high quality care
  • Telehealth policy
    • Telehealth policy resources for health care providers and organizations
  • Billing for telehealth
    • Reimbursements for telehealth continue to evolve. Find resources on billing and reimbursement for Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers
  • Licensure
    • Telehealth licensure requirements vary at the federal, state, and cross-state levels for health care providers
  • Legal considerations
    • Read about the legal considerations for providing care through telehealth, including information on privacy and security, informed consent, and liability and malpractice
  • Best practice guides
    • Learn how to incorporate telehealth into your practice. Get resources and tips focused on different specialties and delivery models including telebehavioral health, telehealth for direct-to-consumer care, and telehealth for emergency departments.

Resources for Patients Include:

2023 National Telehealth Conference – Recorded Sessions Now Available

October 17, 2023

2023 National Telehealth Conference – Recorded Sessions Now Available

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released the recorded sessions from the September 2023 National Telehealth Conference.

Watch individual sessions from the 2023 National Telehealth Conference:

Equum Medical Launches the Lighthouse Series: Inspiring Success Stories in Telehealth and Healthcare Transformation

August 25, 2023

Equum Medical Launches the Lighthouse Series: Inspiring Success Stories in Telehealth and Healthcare Transformation

Equum Medical’s Lighthouse Series™ demonstrates telehealth’s positive impact on hospitals, enhancing staffing, patient safety, and revenue. These success stories showcase acute care telehealth services, aiding hospital staff, providing expertise, and efficiently transferring patients.

Telehealth addresses critical challenges like ED capacity, ICU mortality, and clinician burnout, offering accessible care and cost reduction. Dr. Scurlock, Equum’s CEO, highlights the need to share these stories for broader adoption.

The series offers insights and strategies for implementing telehealth, emphasizing its potential for positive healthcare change. It’s a resource for professionals to grasp telehealth’s applications and impact on outcomes.

Karsten Russell-Wood, CMO, envisions the series as evidence of telehealth’s effectiveness during industry transformation. Equum Medical’s active involvement in industry associations furthers access to telehealth insights for hospitals.

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