Email

Emailing patient information can be HIPAA compliant. However there are risks that you should be cognizant of and steps to take to minimize the chance of a HIPAA violation.

Alameda Health Systems in California recently reported a patient data breach that impacted the information of approximately 90,000 patients. This breach involved unauthorized access to the email accounts of email accounts. This enabled the hackers to use the email accounts to gain access to the patient information.

in order to be HIPAA Compliant, you must maintain a "Culture of Compliance" at your office. This can include keeping your software up-to-date, regular required training and addressing risks that pose to your office. This month we address Phishing Emails, Battery Backups and Proper Disposal of Copiers/Printers/Fax Machines

Last week we published an article that Prestera Health was breached due to a vulnerability in their email system. This Week Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend, WA experienced a breach related to their email system.