Imagine this – you’re a dedicated doctor in a busy practice. With the rising number of patients, particularly in light of the contemporary global health landscape, virtual healthcare has emerged as the standard approach. Nonetheless, safeguarding your patients’ data is an imperative you are fully aware of. How do you navigate this maze? Enter HIPAA compliant virtual conferencing.
From Phone Calls to Virtual Consultations: The Evolution of Telemedicine
Telemedicine isn’t new. It has its roots in rural areas where medical help was miles away, with doctors using telephone lines to provide consultations. But oh, how times have changed! We’ve moved past simple phone calls to virtual consultations on video conferencing platforms. But with this advancement comes the risk of data breach and violating patient privacy. That’s where HIPAA comes into play.
Unveiling the Mystery: What is HIPAA?
HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This legislation safeguards patient data, ensuring medical information remains confidential. Any violation can lead to hefty fines or even license revocation. That’s why it’s essential for doctors to choose a HIPAA compliant virtual conferencing platform.
HIPAA Compliant Video Conferencing: What Should You Look For?
- End-to-end encryption: This ensures that data shared during a consultation can’t be intercepted or decoded.
- BAA Agreement: The provider should be able to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), accepting responsibility for the protection of patient data.
- Access control: The platform should only allow authorized individuals to join the meeting.
- Audit controls: The system should track and record activity for future audits.
Use of video conferencing by doctors:
- Only 7% of U.S. physicians use online video conferencing to communicate with any of their patients[1].
- Videoconferencing is often conducted to assess residents with changes in mental status, abnormal laboratory values, or falls[2].
- A systematic review of studies that used video conferencing intervention for common chronic conditions found that video conferencing could be particularly relevant in improving health, care management, access, and cost in the care of chronic illnesses. While video conferencing has been found to be feasible and effective, a low number of randomized controlled trials limit evidence[3].
- Video consultations using smartphone apps could raise challenges in delivering appropriate care and utilization, conducting camera work to assist different types of examinations, supporting doctor-patient relationship creation and maintenance, allowing doctors to maintain control over the appointment, as well as protecting patients’ and doctors’ privacy[4].
- 76% of U.S. hospitals already have a telehealth program connecting medical practitioners with patients through video and other technologies[5].
- Video conferencing allows doctors to build stronger relationships with their patients, which translates to patient loyalty. Importantly, video conferencing technology is a spatial barrier breaker. By using video conferencing, healthcare service providers can meet patients who are located far away, in remote locations, or patients who are immobile and cannot visit health care facilities. Video conferencing technology allows patients to consult their doctors whenever necessary; depending on the set-up, patients can see their doctors pretty much on-demand[6].
Overall, while video conferencing has the potential to improve healthcare access and outcomes, its use by doctors is still relatively low. However, the increasing adoption of telehealth programs by hospitals suggests that this will change in the future.
Why O-Connect Stands Out in the Crowd
Remember Peter, a pediatrician from our imaginary story? He chose O-Connect as his virtual conferencing platform. Why, you ask? Here are his reasons:
- Compliance: O-Connect is fully HIPAA compliant, providing end-to-end encryption and allowing for BAA agreements.
- Accessibility: It is easily accessible on multiple devices and has a user-friendly interface.
- Features: From screen sharing to automatic language translation, O-Connect provides a wide array of features to assist doctors in providing the best care.
The Bottom Line: Privacy Matters
Our world is becoming more digitized, and the medical field is no exception. However, we must prioritize our patients’ privacy. So, dear doctors, when you’re looking for a virtual conferencing solution, remember to choose a HIPAA compliant platform. Protect yourself, your practice, and most importantly, your patients’ privacy. Because, as we all know, with great power comes great responsibility.
Citations:
[1] https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/healthcare/seven-percent-u-s-physicians-use-video-chat-to-communicate-patients-0
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1480309/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5669274/
[4] https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3514234
[5] https://www.cometchat.com/blog/telehealth-trends
[6] https://www.megameeting.com/news/benefits-of-video-conferencing-in-healthcare/