Ensure Call Center Compliance with Secure Messaging
Patient privacy and security are the main focus of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). Standard messaging often fails to meet the requirements of the current laws, leaving patient data vulnerable and providers liable for potential HIPAA violations. Healthcare providers and their business associates are required to protect against reasonably anticipated threats to security and impermissible uses and disclosures. They also must ensure compliance with these procedures by their workforce.
Cyber criminals target the $3.6 trillion U.S. healthcare industry because much of the information contained in a medical record is permanent and can’t easily be replaced like credit card numbers. Failure to adequately safeguard electronic patient health information (ePHI) has plagued the healthcare industry for the past few years. According to the Ponemon institute/IBM security and its 2019 cost of a data breach report, a healthcare data breach in the U.S. costs an average of $15 million.
Failure to protect ePHI can result in extremely costly fines levied by the office of civil rights (OCR). The OCR performs random audits of healthcare organizations and their business associates, and breaches can also be reported to them. The consequences of a data breach or fine could put your call center out of business.
Secure Messaging Solution for Call Centers
Call centers that process, store, or transmit ePHI can ensure they are in compliance with HIPAA and HITECH by utilizing a secure messaging platform for healthcare communications.
An example of a secure messaging platform is our miSecureMessages app. miSecureMessages is a HIPAA and HITECH -compliant messaging application. Messages are fully encrypted, ensuring privacy while leveraging technology that most healthcare providers use. This technology is user-friendly and convenient.
- miSecureMessages sends and receives encrypted messages via smart devices and desktops.
- Users can send texts, photos, videos, and audio files securely.
- Recipients are notified about incoming messages via customizable, visual and audio alerts and can reply to an entire group or team, just the person who sent the message, or someone else within the group.
- Quick phrases can be sent with a single touch and messages can also be sent using voice-to-text.
- The app also provides a fully auditable record of all messages, as required by the joint commission.
To keep information secure, a passcode, fingerprint scan, or facial recognition can be set as a requirement to open the app. If a mobile device is lost or stolen, a network administrator can deactivate the individual miSecureMessages license remotely. Messages themselves are never actually downloaded onto the device - ensuring they are secure. This protects patient data without requiring a complete remote wipe of the mobile device. This way, once the device is recovered, users still have access to all of their personal data and contacts and can begin using the secure messaging solution again.
The Future of Secure Messaging
Ensuring that ePHI communication is secure and private is an important task. The outdated and costly paging technology solutions in the past offered limited alternative options. Utilizing a secure messaging app provides a secure, fully encrypted solution to protect data and your call center.