Secure and efficient communication is essential in any healthcare setting — especially in today’s digital age. And with the increasing need to share sensitive patient information in real-time, healthcare providers are turning to HIPAA-compliant texting solutions.
In this article, we’ll explore nine compelling reasons healthcare providers should adopt secure texting for healthcare and how medical professionals in various industries can use it to their advantage.
[Related: Considering Using AI in Your Healthcare Practice? Here’s Where to Start]
1. Patient Privacy Protection
As you likely already know, data must remain confidential when texting patients — that’s why patient privacy is number one on our list.
Patient data includes sensitive information such as:
- Notes and data put in your file record by a nurse, doctor or other healthcare provider
- Conversations that you have with your nurses or doctor regarding your health
- You billing information
- Information about your insurer’s computer system
All healthcare practices should consider HIPAA-compliant secure text as a vital feature in their office. Take a look at HIPAA’s full list of protected patient information so you understand why efforts to avoid unauthorized access and potential breaches is a must!
[Related: Virtual Medical Scribe: What You Need to Know]
2. Efficient Care Coordination
Another reason to use healthcare text messaging is that it makes your office, and therefore your care, more efficient.
With secure text messaging for healthcare, providers and office personnel can carry out crucial tasks:
- Quickly exchanging information
- Updating treatment plans
- Collaborating on patient care
Here’s the bottom line. Securely texting patients allows a practice to communicate seamlessly so providers can carry out treatments on time. No patient likes an unorganized office that doesn’t prioritize the time it takes to deliver quality care, in whatever form.
3. Rapid Response
With HIPAA-compliant texting, healthcare providers can respond promptly to patient inquiries. This is pivotal! If you were a patient experiencing an emergency, would you appreciate waiting more than a few minutes for a response?
In urgent situations requiring critical care, time is of the essence. That real-time communication you get from texting in healthcare enhances patient outcomes and improves patient satisfaction as a result.
[Related: How Patient Journey Mapping Revolutionizes Your Healthcare Experience]
4. Mobile Accessibility
Thanks to the fast-paced nature of tech solutions, HIPAA-compliant texting platforms often offer mobile apps.
This lets healthcare professionals access patient information (and securely communicate with those patients) on the go.
So if you’re worried about out-of-the-blue patient questions that may require ultra-quick responses, you have tools in hand to make time-sensitive decisions.
5. Improved Workflow Efficiency
Text messaging in healthcare improves your office’s overall workflow! Here are the top perks in terms of efficiency:
- Streamlining communication within your healthcare organization(s) via providers, office personnel and patients
- Reducing phone tag and unnecessary delays
- Saving time so that in-person care is more prompt, personal and direct
You’ll notice improvements in your patient engagement because automated appointment reminders and follow-up communications keep everyone in the loop.
6. Avoidance of Nonsecure Channels
Is texting HIPAA compliant? It’s not because compliance depends on the channel you text through.
HIPAA-compliant text messaging in healthcare provides a specific and secure alternative to noncompliant channels — such as regular SMS or email — for sharing patient information.
This mitigates the risk of data breaches and general HIPAA violations.
7. Audit Trails and Accountability
HIPAA-compliant texting platforms often include audit trails that track and record message exchanges.
These audit trails are very reliable communication records because they ensure compliance and accountability. In short, you won’t have to worry about obtaining proof if legal issues arise later.
8. Enhanced Data Security
According to the HIPAA journal, data breaches have been on an upward trend for the past 14 years. Although there was a slight decrease in 2022, breaches hit a record high in 2021 with 4,145 publicly announced breaches (i.e., 22 billion exposed records).
For HIPAA-compliant texting to patients, certain platforms (such as Wendi) employ highly robust encryption methods, password protection and secure servers to safeguard data.
Because of these measures, the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches is much lower.
9. Cost Savings
Traditional communication methods (such as phone calls and faxing) simply don’t cut it anymore — and they’re expensive. You typically have a human employee to handle those tasks, which means another salary to dish out of your budget.
Incorporating HIPAA-compliant texting into your current practice takes that expense off your hands and reduces unnecessary overhead costs.
Note: Wendi provides a complete phone system that supports unlimited call routing and forwarding. You’ll also enjoy customizable SMS snippets, mass texting and text scheduling within our platform.
[Related: Top 13 Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant]
Contact Wendi To Get Customized AI Healthcare Texting
HIPAA-compliant texting ensures healthcare providers can communicate confidently and securely in the modern digital healthcare landscape. And Wendi is here to help.
As the top digital assistant for healthcare, our goal is to help your office run as smoothly as possible — and that includes secure healthcare text messaging. Our AI-powered phone, text and chat solutions will get your office operating the way it should.
Meet Wendi or get in touch with Wendi for a cutting-edge, virtual front healthcare office so you can better care for your patients. Schedule a free demo today to see how we can help!
Featured image via Unsplash
