Preparing patients to protect their health data privacy
It is important to listen to patients about their privacy concerns and provide educational materials on how to use telehealth in a safe and secure way.
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Patient telehealth privacy and security communications
Your patients may have diverse backgrounds and environments. These patient differences may impact how they prefer to access telehealth and perceive privacy and security risks to their health information. Your communications should be tailored to your patients.
Ask about your patients’ comfort level to share sensitive health information using telehealth. Explain to patients the importance of confidentiality in provider-patient relationships and periodically check-in on their privacy preferences. Share privacy tips with your patients to help them connect securely online and protect their privacy during and after a telehealth appointment.
As part of your telehealth privacy and security strategy, prepare resources and tutorials to help patients safely use the telehealth platform. Inform your patients of these resources and the steps taken to ensure data security and to minimize exposure and privacy breaches. Share stories or testimonials from patients who have had positive experiences using the secure telehealth features to protect their privacy and communicate these efforts to other patients.
Communication about privacy protections can increase patient trust in telehealth and help reassure them that their health data is secure.
More information
Protecting patients' telehealth privacy — Health Resources and Services Administration
Telehealth privacy and security tips for patients — Office for Civil Rights
Resource for health care providers on educating patients about privacy and security risks to protected health information when using remote communication technologies for telehealth — Office for Civil Rights
Frequently asked questions for patient virtual care security (PDF) — California Telehealth Resource Center