Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations help protect the privacy and security of patients’ protected health information (PHI). Non-compliance with the HIPAA email standards in therapy clinics can pose significant risks to patients and healthcare providers. You can manage such risks by sourcing a HIPAA compliant email for therapists from Enterprise Guardian. Here are some risks for non-compliance with HIPAA email standards in therapy clinics:
Legal Penalties
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which enforces HIPAA, can impose fines on therapy clinics for non-compliance with HIPAA email standards. These fines can range from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the severity of the violation. In some cases, individuals who knowingly obtain or disclose public health information without authorization may face criminal penalties, including imprisonment. Failing to get a HIPAA compliant email for therapists can lead to audits and investigations by the OCR to assess compliance.
Patient Privacy Breach
Non-compliance with HIPAA email standards can result in unauthorized disclosure of public health information. This might occur due to various reasons, such as sending unencrypted emails, misaddressing emails, or sharing information with the wrong individuals. In therapy clinics, the types of PHI that could be exposed include patients’ mental health records, treatment plans, and diagnoses. Unauthorized disclosure of this information can lead to severe emotional distress, discrimination, or potential harm to the patients.
Reputation Damage
A HIPAA email standard violation can damage the reputation of a therapy clinic. Patients may question the clinic’s commitment to their well-being, and referring healthcare professionals may hesitate to refer patients to the clinic. Patients may seek therapy services elsewhere, and referring healthcare professionals may opt for alternative clinics with a better patient information security track record. This loss of clientele can have significant financial ramifications. Rebuilding trust after a HIPAA violation can be a challenging and time-consuming process.
Mitigating Risks of Non-compliant Email Systems
You can avoid such risks by getting a HIPAA compliant email from a trusted service provider. Enterprise Guardian offers secure email solutions for therapists to protect public health information. We provide end-to-end encryption to allow only authorized recipients to access the email content. With the access control feature, the two-factor authentication helps verify the therapist’s identity before they access their accounts.
HIPAA compliant email services often include audit trail features, which allow for the monitoring and tracking of email communications. This helps demonstrate compliance with HIPAA regulations and identify unusual or unauthorized access. Our antispam and antivirus security systems can help manage data breaches or hacks. You can also send secure files from our cloud storage solution with password protection and time expiration.
Invest in a HIPAA Compliant Email for Therapists
Using a HIPAA compliant email service provider is an effective way for therapy clinics to mitigate non-compliance risks. Our team can assess your security needs and help you set up a HIPAA compliant email with secure and interactive features. Regular updates and compliance monitoring can help prevent data breaches in therapy clinics. Contact us to learn more about our secure email systems.Â