HIPAA Text Reminders
A big question in the medical industry is, “sending text appointment reminders HIPAA compliant”?
The great news is Yes, a HIPAA text is compliant for your practice. But you need to take specific steps to safeguard patient privacy. To understand how to send HIPAA-compliant appointment reminders, you need to understand HIPAA law. Get to know the facts about text-based appointment reminders before your start sending messages to patients. Being informed is critical to protect patient privacy and make texting work for your healthcare practice. text
What is HIPAA Compliance?
HIPAA is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that was passed by Congress in 1996. HIPAA does the following:
- Provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs.
- Reduces health care fraud and abuse.
- Mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electronic billing and other processes; and
- Requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information
Send an Appointment Reminders HIPAA Compliant Text
- You should provide these essential details in reminder messages:
- Name of patient
- Appointment date and time
- Your practice names
- Your practice’s office phone number
- However, you should never disclose the following without explicit permission from the patient:
- The nature of the patient’s disease or condition
- Treatment plans
- Test results
Detailing that information in reminder messages can be a privacy violation. The reason? Family members or other people may have shared access to the patient’s reminder message. Now that you know the fundamentals of what you can and can’t communicate in reminder messages, you need to understand how to ensure your text messages are HIPAA compliant.
Must do Steps Before Text
- Alert the client that there is a risk of unauthorized PHI disclosure
- Obtain permission from the patient to communicate via text
- Document the patient’s consent to receive texts from you
- Provide the patient with an opt-out option
After attaining consent, you can send texts to patients, including reminder messages. However, you still don’t have permission to send marketing messages to patients. Another thing to consider is whether patients will want another person to receive reminders on their behalf. This is also possible under HIPAA, but you need to secure explicit permission to contact a specific individual from the patient. In those instances, you must make sure to share appointment details only and never leave messages containing any protected health information.
Appointment Reminders is Committed to HIPAA Compliance
We specialize in HIPAA Compliant Appointment Reminders for patients. Data security and privacy are at the forefront of technology, especially where medical records and information are concerned.
We take extra steps to ensure that any data you share with us is secure, private, and confidential.
- Follow the HIPAA guidelines of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
- NEVER share your company data or your patient’s data
- Only store the minimal data required to send your HIPAA compliant appointment reminders
- Encrypt your data when in transit and at rest
- Delete your data when no longer needed
- Follow all additional HIPAA guidelines
- Sign a BAA (Business Associate Agreement) with you. Our BAA can be downloaded here. We can typically sign yours as well if you have your BAA that you prefer to use.
We are happy to provide your company with our security and HIPAA certifications upon request.
Prevent Costly Patient No-Shows with Appointment Reminders Texts
Texting has become the #1 preferred method of communication for many people. Today, people often willingly let businesses they trust send them texts with critical information. Healthcare providers can capitalize on this momentum and implement automated text reminders to alert patients about upcoming appointments.
Even if you have a solid phone and email reminder program in place, text messaging can help you reach more patients. An automated program eliminates the chore of placing daily reminder calls or sending emails manually. Your front office staff can spend less time on the phone and more time providing excellent service to patients.
One of the biggest advantages of texting is the opportunity to decrease patient no-shows. When patients receive text reminders via phone, they will be more likely to see those messages and react to them. This can mean showing up on time for an appointment or rescheduling if necessary. You’ll have fewer gaps in your schedule due to no-shows and can plan resources more effectively. Plus, you’ll see your revenue climb and your business thrive when you fill your days with more patient appointments.
No doubt, text messaging can be a huge win for healthcare providers–and it’s permissible under HIPAA. By knowing the regulations and following the proper protocols, you can remind each patient about their next appointment via text. That way, you can ensure that patients receive the medical care they need while supporting business growth.
In Conclusion
Whether you have a small practice or a very large practice spanning multiple locations, we have a plan that is right for you. We have been in operation since 2012. Since this time, we have grown our automated appointment reminder system substantially and continue to improve our capabilities. Most medical professionals who use our services experience a huge reduction in no-shows. A HIPAA-compliant reminder system is usually worth it financially even if you only prevent ONE no-show. Of course, another real benefit is that you won’t have to spend all day at work waiting for patients who don’t show up.
No Contracts and No Risk!
- There are No Hidden Fees, setup charges, cancellation charges, or contracts.
- All appointment reminder account tiers come with a 30 Day Trial – no credit card needed (up to 30 reminders)
- We don’t believe that there is any benefit to holding a company to a contract if the service is not a good fit. Our high-quality appointment reminder service speaks for itself.
- We are sure that our services will benefit your company by decreasing no-shows and increasing your customer’s satisfaction! If for any reason you are unsatisfied, you don’t pay! It’s that simple!
