FAQs on Telehealth, Telemedicine and HIPAA

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) compliance is the obligation of healthcare providers to keep patients Personal Healthcare Information (PHI) private. When using telehealth options, like HIPAAvideo.net, that means end-to-end encryption and HITECH compliant software to guarantee the security of patient data. HIPAAvideo.net also provides a Business Associate Agreement to safeguard protected health information.

HIPAAvideo.net is the lowest-price, full service, HIPAA compliant Telehealth option on the market today. While there are other options, none offer seamless API integration, integrated calendar for appointments, HITECH compliant platform and software, and knowledgeable live customer support that HIPAAvideo.net does.

Yes. Dentists and Doctors must comply with HIPAA in order to ensure the safe digital transmission of patient healthcare information (PHI). While some doctors and dentists might not be an individually covered entity, the HIPAA laws surrounding their practice should ensure the safe transmission and storage of PHI online.

For a video chat to be HIPAA compliant it must have three things: encryption, access controls, and audit controls. EPHI (Electronic Protected Health Information) should be safely protected and encrypted, or an equally secure security measure should be in place. Access controls refer to the level of access individuals have to specific information. Audit controls monitor access to secured files to quickly detect and alert for unauthorized access.

HIPPAvideo.net costs $24 per active provider per month. This includes end-to-end encryption, HITECH compliant platform and software, Business Associate Agreement, live customer support and demonstrations, and it has API Integration so that it can be seamlessly integrated into your current software and systems.

No, telemedicine does not require video. Telemedicine can take place over the phone or through text-based messaging as well. These features, also offered by HIPAAvideo.net, include the same end-to-end encryption and are available through the HITECH HIPAA compliant platform and software.

It can be. Telemedicine also includes phone calls and text-based messaging involving patient information. Telemedicine has become increasingly popular over the last year and a full-service, HIPAA compliant telemedicine option is available to you through www.hipaavideo.net

Yes and no. Telemedicine can take place on a video call, over the phone, or through text-based messaging. Telemedicine is defined as receiving healthcare from your provider from an alternate location through a digital channel. www.hipaavideo.net offers a full-service telehealth audio and video option for healthcare providers.

In order to access a HIPAA compliant version of Zoom, you need to download EPIC, an integration system compatible for Zoom scheduling or you would need to upgrade to the very expensive Zoom for Healthcare plan. In contrast, HIPAA Video has all the capabilities built right into its platform within the platform and is more cost effective per provider per month.

In order for Google Meet (formerly Hangouts Meet) to be HIPAA compliant, you must purchase a Google Workspace account and sign a BAA with Google. To meet the security standards of HIPAA compliance, you need to purchase at least a Business Plus , but to have all the encrypted security of HIPAA Video, you need to purchase an Enterprise account. This is considerably more expensive than the HIPAA Video platform.

No, standard Skype video is not compliant with HIPAA standards for patient security. The company does not offer a Business Associate Agreement or notify clinicians when data breeches occur. While Skype for Business can be made HIPAA compliant, it requires upgrading to the expensive Enterprise package. HIPAA Video provides a Business Associate Agreement, HITECH compliant software that ensures patient information is safeguarded, 256-bit encryption and 2-factor authentication to ensure client identity, at all levels of service.

Google Hangouts by itself is not fully HIPAA compliant unless you want to use Google Workspace for your company. While Google Hangouts’ BAA covers services such as Google Drive and Google Calendar, it does not cover Google Groups, Google Contacts and Google+. Additional issues come into play when users are on their mobile device and added security settings are necessary to ensure patient healthcare information is secure.

No. Apple is a cloud service provider, and to ensure meeting the requirements under HIPAA rules, it would need to sign a Business Associate Agreement. They have not, making Facetime not HIPAA compliant. While end-to-end encryption is available, Facetime does not allow for video recording or scheduling like HIPAAvideo.net does.

Doxy.me only has an Android-based app with limited features. There is currently no app for Apple products, such as the iPhone or iPad.