Email has become a popular way for physicians and patients to communicate. This is especially true as more patients have access to the Internet and medical practices become web-enabled. Physicians and office staff at medical practices also use email to communicate with billing companies, insurance plans, and other buisness associates ( consultants, accountants, lawyers ).

For the most part, these electronic communications have been unregulated; until now. There are many legal and regulatory questions/issues surrounding the acceptable use of email between physicians and patients. Most of these issues are becoming clearer with the passage of HIPAA. Under proposed HIPAA security rules going into law soon, the type of email solutions and procedures for medical practices will need to be carefully evaulated.

There are many issues regarding the successful implementation of email with respect to HIPAA: secure transmission and storage, training, technical solutions, ease of use, maintability, flexibility, feasibility, and more will need to be addressed.

Therefore, before you implement email, be sure to review your practice's goal of email usage( i.e. do you wish to bill for online consultations?), the type of system that best meets your needs, and your operation and training procedures, to make sure they comply with guidelines and recommendations.

MMA has performed indepth research regarding HIPAA and viable email solutions for medical practices. MMA is available to help you during your selection and implementation process.