While HIPAA does not explicitly require email archiving, it is a valuable practice for healthcare organizations to consider. Email archiving helps organizations meet electronic data retention requirements, enhances business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities, simplifies audit responses, and strengthens overall data security.
What is email archiving?
Email archiving is the process of storing email communications in a searchable format. It involves converting emails, including attachments and metadata, into data that can be accessed when needed. While email archiving is not explicitly mandated by HIPAA, it is a valuable method for maintaining records of email communications.
Unlike traditional backup solutions, email archiving allows businesses to search for specific emails quickly. This feature is especially useful when searching for particular email threads or information. Additionally, email archiving ensures the integrity of email data, preventing unauthorized access, alteration, or deletion, which aligns with the requirements of the HIPAA security rule.
Read also: What is email archiving and retention?.
HIPAA compliant email archiving
Although HIPAA does not explicitly require email archiving, it outlines specific electronic data retention requirements. Healthcare organizations are required to retain data for at least six years, ensuring appropriate access controls and audit trails to track data access.
For an email archiving solution to be considered HIPAA compliant, the provider must have safeguards in place to protect client data and be willing to sign a business associate agreement. The business associate agreement ensures that the provider understands and complies with HIPAA regulations regarding the handling of protected health information (PHI).
Read more: How to develop a HIPAA email retention policy
Benefits of email archiving
In addition to meeting HIPAA compliance requirements, email archiving offers several other benefits for healthcare organizations:
Business continuity and disaster recovery
HIPAA requires businesses to have business continuity and disaster recovery plans in place to minimize downtime during breaches or natural disasters. Email archiving serves as a data backup solution, as exact copies of data are stored on an offsite server. This ensures that email communications are preserved and can be restored in case of emergencies.
Rapid audit response
During audits or investigations, healthcare organizations may be required to provide communication records. Email archiving simplifies this process by storing all email communications in a centralized location.
PHI disposal
HIPAA mandates that healthcare organizations retain PHI for a minimum of six years. After this period, the data must be securely disposed of. Email archiving solutions often include automated processes for data disposal, ensuring that PHI is properly deleted once the retention period expires.
Enhanced data security
Email archiving providers employ security measures to protect stored data. Encryption techniques like Paubox ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information, preventing unauthorized access.
See also: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide
Farah Amod
