On Oct. 18, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released resources to help health providers educate patients about telehealth and the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI).
“Telehealth is a wonderful tool that can increase patients’ access to health care and improve health care outcomes,” said OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer. “Health care providers can support telehealth by helping patients understand privacy and security risks and effective cybersecurity practices so patients are confident that their health information remains private.”
The first resource, “Educating Patients about Privacy and Security Risks to Protected Health Information when Using Remote Communication Technologies for Telehealth,” is for health care providers. While the HIPAA rules do not mandate health care providers to offer such guidance, this resource encourages the continued expansion of telehealth services by equipping health care professionals with the necessary information to facilitate conversations about privacy and security in telehealth. It presents recommendations for discussing:
- Available telehealth choices.
- Risks associated with PHI when employing remote communication technologies.
- Privacy and security protocols provided by remote communication technology providers.
- The relevance of civil rights laws.
OCR also released “Telehealth Privacy and Security Tips for Patients,” which provides recommendations for patients to protect and secure their health information.
Contact Director of Policy Rob Nelb, MPH, at rnelb@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
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