How HIPAA compliant email benefits cross border communication

Email allows for rapid communication between healthcare providers worldwide with the tap of a button. This feature makes it a cornerstone of cross-border collaboration for the advancement of public health.

Understanding the concept of cross-border communication

Cross-border communication is the exchange of information, ideas, or data between individuals, entities, or organizations. It can take the form of communication needed to coordinate care, share medical information, and collaborate on research and public health initiatives across international borders. 

It allows providers to discuss patient cases with specialists abroad and access records from foreign institutions. A practical example of this form of communication is the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Testing, clinical research, and resource sharing took an international approach as countries struggled with rising death tolls and dwindling medical supplies.

A study published in Health Policy OPEN states, “The speed at which the global community has responded in exchange of medical knowledge and the development of a safe and effective vaccine has been unprecedented, which has been a shining example of a global response to a global problem.” This illustrates the impact of cross-border collaboration on the healthcare industry as a whole with joint efforts producing effective solutions. 

The purpose of email 

Email is a reliable and instantaneous method of exchanging ideas and data across international boundaries and during restrictive travel periods like COVID-19. It simplifies cross-border communication by allowing healthcare providers to discuss patient cases easily without delay or complication. The medium also transcends time zones, with emails reaching patients immediately and leaving it up to the recipients to decide whether to provide a prompt response. 

The features of HIPAA compliant email, central to healthcare communications allow for the security of information sent with the assurance that stringent legislative requirements are met. This allows for adherence and consideration of international privacy laws such as GDPR when providing commentary on patient cases.

Related: Top HIPAA compliant email services

Best practices to use email effectively

1. Be aware of compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR in Europe which may indicate how data should be handled across borders. 
2. Apply digital signatures to emails to verify the sender's identity and ensure the message has not been altered during transit. 
3. Configure data loss prevention strategies in email systems to automatically detect and prevent the unauthorized sharing of sensitive information. 
4. Establish and enforce policies for handling email attachments such as restrictions on file types and sizes, and scanning for malware. 
5. Use email traffic analysis tools to monitor patterns and detect unusual or suspicious activities. 
6. Provide training for staff on international data protection laws and cross border compliance requirements. 
7. Be cautious when setting up email forwarding rules to ensure that sensitive information is not inadvertently sent to unauthorized recipients.
   
   

FAQs

What form of encryption is recommended for email by the NIST?  

The National Institute of Standards and Technology recommends using Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 or higher. 

What is GDPR? 

The General Data Protection Regulation is a European Union regulation that protects the privacy and personal data of individuals within the EU.

How does GDPR differ from HIPAA?

GDPR applies to all personal data protection for EU residents. HIPAA applies to the privacy and security of health information.