Running a healthcare practice comes with a long list of responsibilities, including making sure your business complies with HIPAA regulations. Whether you’re a solo therapist, specialty clinic, or small healthcare group, having the right policies and paperwork is essential for protecting your practice and patients.
We’ll review four email policies and form documents that you should implement in your practice now. Download them for free.
Who these forms and policies are for:
- Therapists with their own private practice
- Solo or small group healthcare practices
- Dentists, chiropractors, physical therapists, and other specialty providers
- Any healthcare provider managing their own practice
Related: HIPAA compliant email for small practices
Why it matters:
- Protect your practice from potential HIPAA email violations
- Establish trust with your patients
- Create clear policies and boundaries with both staff and patients
- Save time by downloading the sample documents (don’t start from scratch)
Essential forms and policies
1. HIPAA privacy policy and patient consent form
This policy and form outlines how your practice will use and protect a patient's protected health information (PHI) in accordance with HIPAA regulations. It also informs your patients of their rights regarding their health information.
2. Electronic communication consent form
This form helps you get documented permission from patients to communicate with them via email, text, phone, etc.
3. Email footer disclosure
A footer message can help clarify the privacy and intended use of messages sent from your practice. It can help reassure patients that their data will be treated securely. Note, including a footer alone is not enough to make an email HIPAA compliant. You must use a service that is specifically HIPAA compliant (like Paubox).
What is a footer? A footer is a message that is automatically included on all outgoing emails. You can configure a footer in your email platform’s settings.
4. Internal HIPAA email policy
Designed for you and your team, this internal policy outlines how staff should handle email communications in compliance with HIPAA to protect the privacy and security of patients’ PHI.
Don’t reinvent the wheel—use these free templates
Setting up policies and procedures doesn’t have to be overwhelming. These free templates are designed to make it easier to launch and grow your practice while staying compliant.
Related: HIPAA compliant checklist for small practices
Lilly Ohno
