Overview:

The session will discuss the requirements, the risks, and the issues of the increasing use of mobile devices for patient communications and provide a road map for how to use them safely and effectively, to increase the quality of health care and patient satisfaction.

• It seems everyone is moving to a new smart phone and wants to use it in all the incredible ways it can be used, including for health care purposes. New health care apps are being released all the time, and even good old e-mail is being used more and more to communicate, by providers and patients alike.
  
• In order to integrate the use of mobile technology into patient communications, it is essential to perform the proper steps in an information security compliance process to evaluate and address the risks of using the technology. This session will describe the information security compliance process, how it works, and how it can help you decide how to integrate mobile technology into your organization in a compliant way. The process, including the use of information security risk analysis, will be explained, and the policies needed to support the process will be described.
  
• But the process must also include consideration of various patient access requirements in the HIPAA Privacy Rule. There are new requirements to provide patients electronic access of electronically held PHI which raise new questions of how that access will be provided and how the information will be protected during and after access. And there has long been a HIPAA requirement for covered entities to do their best to meet the requests of their patients for particular modes of communication, and using a mobile device is no exception.
  
• The stakes are high – any improper exposure of PHI may result in an official breach that must be reported to the individual and to the US Department of Health and Human Services, at great cost and with the potential to bring fines and other enforcement actions if a violation of rules is involved. Likewise, complaints by a patient if they are not afforded the access they desire can bring about HHS inquiries and enforcement actions, so it is essential to find the right balance of access and control.
  
• HHS compliance audit activity and enforcement penalties are both increased, especially in instances of willful neglect of compliance, if, for instance, your organization hasn't adopted the complete suite of policies and procedures needed for compliance, or hasn’t adequately considered the impact of mobile devices on your compliance. Given that mobile devices are a leading source of breaches of PHI, it is essential to consider these devices and how their use affects the privacy and security of PHI; not doing so is inviting enforcement action by HHS.

• Smart phones and the Internet have changed the way people communicate and introduced new risks into the process. Now patients want to be able to communicate with their health care providers using these devices, and to be able to access, send, and receive their health information. But communications using mobile devices has some inherent privacy and security risks that may put providers out of compliance.
  
• Mobile devices present new challenges to health care providers, as there are simultaneously new requirements to share information with patients, and a new enforcement effort to ensure the privacy and security of Protected Health Information (PHI). Meeting both challenges requires careful consideration of all the regulations and technologies, as well as patient preferences and work flow.
  
• Most HIPAA covered entities now face difficult choices as mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets proliferate and become the standard for personal communications both by providers and their patients. Most organizations haven’t updated their information security risk analysis or policies and procedures and run the risk of breaches, rule violations, and fines in the event of mishandling of PHI using these new technologies.
  
• With the new HIPAA random audit program now getting under way, and increases in enforcement actions following breaches, now is the time to ensure your organization is in compliance with the regulations and meeting the communication needs and desires of its providers and patients. You need the proper privacy protections for health information, and the necessary documented policies and procedures, as well as documentation of any actions taken pursuant to your policies and procedures. Your policies and procedures will probably need major revisions to maintain compliance in areas such as individual access of records, accounting of disclosures, and breach notification. And, of course, you will need to train your staff in all the new policies and procedures.

• Find out the ways that patients want to use their mobile technology to communicate with providers, and the ways providers want to use their mobile technology to enable better patient care.
  
• Learn what the risks of using mobile technology are, what can go wrong, and what can result when it does.
  
• Find out about HIPAA requirements for access and patient preferences, as well as the requirements to protect PHI.
  
• Learn how to use an information security management process to evaluate risks and make decisions about how best to protect PHI and meet patient needs and desires.
  
• Find out what policies and procedures you should have in place for dealing with mobile devices and any new technology.
  
• Learn about the training and education that must take place to ensure your staff uses mobile devices properly and does not risk exposure of PHI.
  
• Find out the steps that must be followed in the event of a breach of PHI.
  
• Learn about how the HIPAA audit and enforcement activities are now being increased and what you need to do to survive a HIPAA audit.

• Compliance director
  
• CEO
  
• CFO
  
• Privacy Officer
  
• Security Officer
  
• Information Systems Manager
  
• HIPAA Officer
  
• Chief Information Officer
  
• Health Information Manager
  
• Healthcare Counsel/lawyer
  
• Office Manager
  
• Contracts Manager