How HIPAA compliant email benefits psychiatry in adolescents

Children and adolescent psychiatry is heavily dependent on communication with support systems. Email stands out as one of the primary methods of maintaining this collaboration in a method that supports both parent or guardian and child. 

Understanding child and adolescent psychiatry

Child and adolescent psychiatry is a branch of medicine focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. The focus is tailored towards considering the unique developmental stages and psychosocial dynamics affecting younger patients. Child psychiatrists are also tasked with collaboration with a wider network of professionals that includes the patients educators and social workers at times. 

An American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry article states, “A child and adolescent psychiatrist offers families the advantages of a medical education, the medical traditions of professional ethics, and medical responsibility for providing comprehensive care.” Their role is to advocate for younger patients and assist in navigating family systems with a demographic that at times cannot directly express themselves. 

The benefit of using HIPAA compliant email in telepsychiatry

Email supports the continuity of care in telepsychiatry. Mental health professionals have the ability to easily send common communications like appointment reminders, treatment adherence, and follow up care through secure means like HIPAA compliant email. It means that email fits easily into the need for child psychiatrists to communicate with parents and guardians.

There is also the ability to maintain detailed logs of email records that provide a comprehensive history that can be useful for future consultations or even audit logs. This extends the efficacy of care by providing a continuous point of contact that remains accessible and efficient. 

Best practices for the use of HIPAA compliant email 

Choose a HIPAA compliant email platform

• Protected health information (PHI) must be shared through secure means unless patients request an alternative method of communication. 
• HIPAA compliant email platforms like Paubox allow for the secure transmission of PHI without concerns relating to unauthorized access. 
  
  

Avoid using personal email accounts

• Train staff on the use of only organization approved email accounts for all patient related communication. 
• Create protocols or procedures targeted at deterring staff from using personal devices in the workplace. 
  
  

Create clear response times

• Create clear guidelines for any staff with access to business email accounts related to response times for patient emails. 
  
  

Monitor for unusual activity

• Email logs can offer insight into unusual activity. These records should be used to detect any unusual activity or potential breaches. 

Related: HIPAA Compliant Email for Mental Health Professionals

FAQs

What is HIPAA? 

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a law that protects an individual's medical information. 

What is the HITECH Act? 

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act is a law promoting the adoption and use of health information technology.

What is the difference between psychiatry and psychology?

Psychiatry is a medical field focused on diagnosing and treating mental health disorders. Psychology is the study of behavior and mental processes.