Q&A: You’ve got questions! We’ve got answers!
Physician Practice Insider, January 24, 2017
Submit your questions to Associate Editor Nicole Votta at nvotta@hcpro.com and we will work with our experts to provide you with the information you need.
Q. Are we required to use encryption on all email, or only email that contains protected health information (PHI)?
A. You are not required to use encryption if the email does not contain PHI. It is sound practice, though, to encrypt email if it contains other confidential information like internal financial information, practitioner disciplinary information, information related to a lawsuit, and so forth. There is always the risk of interception. Confidential information in the wrong hands can get rather expensive for the organization.
Editor’s note: Chris Apgar, CISSP, president of Apgar and Associates, LLC, in Portland, Oregon, answered this question for Briefings on HIPAA. This information does not constitute legal advice. Consult legal counsel for answers to specific privacy and security questions. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent HCPro or ACDIS. Email your questions to Associate Editor Nicole Votta at nvotta@hcpro.com.
Related Products
-
Physician Practice Perspective
Physician Practice Perspective subscribers can find the archive of issues on the Part B News website. Find more information...
-
Medical Environment Update
A subscription to Medical Environment Update pays for itself by saving you time sorting through complex regulations and...
-
HealthLeaders Media Physician Leaders
HealthLeaders Media Physician Leaders offers commentaries that focus on the hottest issues for doctors as well as concise...
-
Medical Environment Update - Electronic and Print, 1 year
A subscription to Medical Environment Update pays for itself by saving you time sorting through complex regulations and...
-
Medical Environment Update - Electronic, 1 year
A subscription to Medical Environment Update pays for itself by saving you time sorting through complex regulations and...
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Math can be tricky: TJC corrects ABHR storage requirement
- Air control equals infection control
- Don't forget the three checks in medication administration
- Residency coordinators’ responsibilities
- Study: Shorter shifts reduces residents’ attentional failures
- RPA Subscriber Exclusive: February issue of Residency Program Alert now available
- Note similarities and differences between HCPCS, CPT® codes
- The consequences of an incomplete medical record
- OSHA HazCom updates include labeling, SDS requirements
- Practice the six rights of medication administration
- E-mailed
-
- Air control equals infection control
- OSHA HazCom updates include labeling, SDS requirements
- Tip: Note new thyroid imaging codes
- Tim Porter-O'Grady sounds off
- Skills of effective case managers
- Q: Can you clarify the reporting of dates on the plan of care for diagnosis onset and exacerbation?
- Q&A: Defining Subacute
- Q&A: Are colleges sending students to our facility for rotations business associates?
- Note similarities and differences between HCPCS, CPT® codes
- Fracture coding in ICD-10-CM requires greater specificity
- Searched