Mental healthcare providers must use HIPAA compliant emails to securely send personalized information, helping individuals with bipolar disorder manage their condition. These emails can include educational content tailored to the individual’s age, lifestyle, and specific challenges while maintaining data privacy.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that “affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population age 18 and older every year,” according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
Bipolar disorder management often includes medication, therapy, and education, “but generally, people seek combinations of psychotherapy and psychosocial treatments, peer support, medications, and personal wellness plans.”
Mental health providers can use personalized emails to send disorder-specific educational content to their patients. Like, if a patient says that they struggle with certain triggers, their provider can send a personalized message that offers tips on recognizing early signs of mood swings.
Patients with comorbidities like diabetes could also receive in-depth guides on managing bipolar disorder and blood glucose levels.
Personalized emails can include coping mechanisms that align with a patient’s lifestyle. For example, a patient experiencing frequent depressive episodes could receive mindfulness exercises directly in their inbox.
Meanwhile, a patient struggling with manic episodes can get guidance on managing impulsivity and maintaining a structured routine.
Personalized emails can include affirmations, success stories, or progress reminders that resonate with the patient’s experiences, motivating them to continue their treatment plan.
However, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that providers safeguard individuals’ protected health information (PHI) during these exchanges.
More specifically, mental healthcare providers must use a HIPAA compliant email solution, like Paubox, which uses advanced encryption to protect PHI during transmission and rest. It prevents interception and unauthorized access, helping providers minimize the risk of costly data breaches and non-compliance fines.
Mental health providers must get written patient consent before sharing their PHI via email. The consent form must explain what information will be shared, how often, and the patient’s right to opt-out.
Choose a HIPAA compliant email solution, like Paubox, which uses TLS (Transport Layer Security) and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) to encrypt emails and attachments, safeguarding PHI during transit and at rest.
Additionally, the solution must sign a business associate agreement (BAA) confirming their responsibility in safeguarding PHI and upholding HIPAA regulations.
Mental health organizations must restrict email access to authorized personnel only. Using role-based access controls limits who can send or view PHI, reducing the risk of potential data breaches.
Organizations should also regularly track these access controls to detect and address potential breaches early.
Staff handling PHI must undergo regular HIPAA training and stay updated on regulations to prevent accidental violations.
Organizations should create policies for sending HIPAA compliant emails, covering consent, encryption, and breach response procedures to maintain consistency across departments.
Go deeper: Developing guidelines for HIPAA compliant email patient communication
HIPAA compliance refers to adhering to regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to safeguard patients’ protected health information (PHI).
HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. It also applies to business associates of these covered entities. These are entities that perform certain functions or activities on behalf of the covered entity.
HIPAA compliant emails can include sensitive health information, like patient education materials, appointment reminders, treatment plans, and other medical communications.