Hosting events can help boost trust in your healthcare organization and foster a stronger sense of community. Effective email marketing is critical to generate awareness about upcoming events and encourage participation. However, healthcare organizations need to ensure that they are doing this in a secure manner that doesn't violate HIPAA.
Promotional emails for events can adhere to HIPAA guidelines if specific criteria are met. Patients must actively agree to receive such emails, and organizations must take the necessary security steps to safeguard Protected Health Information.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule has specific guidelines for the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI). With only a few exceptions, covered entities are required to collect a patient's written authorization before their PHI can be utilized for marketing communication.
"Marketing" typically refers to messages that promote the use or purchase of a product or service. Event promotion emails are classified as a form of marketing, so patients need to opt-in to receive them.
Under the Security Rule, covered entities are also required to implement safeguards that protect the "confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI." These include data encryption and controls that limit access to authorized users. Therefore, event promotion emails can be HIPAA compliant if patients have explicitly consented to receive these messages and sufficient security measures are in place.
Related: What are the opt-in exceptions?
Before promoting an event to patients via email, obtain their consent to receive marketing materials from your practice through a consent form. Forms should include clear information on the scope, purpose, and anticipated frequency of content so patients know exactly what they are agreeing to. Also, inform them of their right to unsubscribe and provide instructions on how to do so.
Train employees on the policies for managing PHI during the opt-in process to reduce the risk of accidental HIPAA violations. Also, make sure to keep a detailed record of patients' consent. This showcases your organization's compliance with HIPAA and covers your bases in the event of an audit.
Use broad language in event promotion emails, leaving out any information that can lead to the identification of individuals. Since there is always a risk of human error here, a more secure approach is to sign a business associate agreement (BAA) with a HIPAA compliant email marketing provider. Many well-known providers like MailChimp and HubSpot will not sign a BAA, which means their platforms are not guaranteed to be secure and compliant with HIPAA requirements.
Rather than sending general event promotions to all patients, a HIPAA compliant email marketing platform allows healthcare providers to tailor outreach to segmented patient groups based on their specific health needs and behaviors. Providing highly personalized content helps build stronger connections with patients and improves satisfaction, making them more likely to engage.
Event promotion emails can be HIPAA compliant under certain conditions. Patients must provide explicit consent to receive marketing emails, and covered entities need to implement the appropriate security measures to protect PHI.
With a HIPAA compliant email marketing platform, healthcare organizations can customize event promotions to relevant patient groups while protecting their privacy.