One concern that doctors often express to me is whether or not their marketing is interfering with HIPAA laws. To answer that question one really needs to understand what HIPAA stands for and what it means for current medical practices.
In 1996, then-President Bill Clinton signed into law the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in order to protect health insurance coverage for Americans by making it easier for them to take their health care records to another provider if they lose or change employers. HIPAA works by utilizing electronic health records (EHR), hence the word “portability.”
When most people think of HIPAA, however, they think of the privacy rules and regulations, in regards to their own patient data. Protected Health Information (PHI) safekeeping has become one of the top priorities for doctors.
So what does this mean for you and your marketing? Well, if you’re an established practice then you are probably doing email marketing and/or using some sort of Client Relationship Management (CRM) software. At TRBO Medical Marketing we take HIPAA laws very seriously, and we make sure our client’s are using software that keeps their patient’s information secure and private.
It is important to know that while we understand the privacy part of HIPAA, we also understand portability. As a doctor, you need to be aware of some third party vendors that can potentially “lock you out” of your own database if you decide to switch platforms. These vendors might do this under the guise of HIPAA laws, but truth be told, by not allowing you access to your patient information they’re the one’s violating HIPAA!
At TRBO ADvance we only work with preferred vendors who understand the law and will never withhold YOUR patient information. We also understand the importance of privacy, so we only work with vendors that echo this sentiment.
If you’re looking to expand on your marketing efforts, but you’re concerned about patient privacy, then contact TRBO ADvance today, or give us a call at 877-673-7096 x2.
