Healthcare organizations can use HIPAA compliant emails to help raise awareness among providers for earlier diagnosis and better treatment outcomes among those with Alzheimer's disease.
What is Alzheimer's disease?
The Alzheimer's Association describes the disease as the most common cause of dementia, associated with a loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Furthermore, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) dementia fact sheet says, “Currently more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide, over 60% of whom live in low-and middle-income countries. Every year, there are nearly 10 million new cases.”
How HIPAA protects people with Alzheimer's
HIPAA requires providers to obtain patient consent before disclosing protected health information (PHI) to third parties. However, patients with Alzheimer’s often have difficulty providing informed consent due to cognitive issues, like the "impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities," according to the CDC.
These impairments can render the patients incapable of giving informed consent, and patients need to rely on a legal representative or caregiver in most instances for informed consent.
According to HIPAA, "If a family member, friend, or person you are caring for has a mental health condition …it can be difficult to stay connected if their condition worsens and they enter a health care facility for observation or treatment.”
“HIPAA helps by allowing the health and mental health providers who treat your loved one to make decisions about communicating with his or her family and friends based on their professional judgment about what is best for the patient."
Using HIPAA compliant email for Alzheimer's awareness
HIPAA compliant emails use advanced security measures like access controls, two-factor authentication, and encryption, safeguarding protected health information (PHI) in these emails.
HIPAA compliant emails allow providers to educate patients, caregivers, and communities about early warning signs, treatment options, and the importance of participating in clinical research while protecting patient privacy.
Scalability
The scalability of HIPAA compliant email platforms, like Paubox, allows organizations to reach large audiences while segmenting communications to target specific groups, such as older adults, rural populations, or communities with limited healthcare resources.
Research on digital health and tailored health communication suggests that personalized outreach can “increase [recipient] engagement, more in-depth processing of information, greater recall, and consequently greater intentions to engage in the desired health behavior change.”
Using secure emails can help providers break down barriers to education and encourage proactive health management across communities.
Educational campaigns
HIPAA compliant emails can, for example, include stories of people from underrepresented communities who benefited from early diagnosis or clinical trial participation.
Moreover, it allows providers to share patient stories securely, building trust and combatting mental health stigma.
Additionally, advocacy organizations could send personalized updates to caregivers about the latest Alzheimer’s research, secure links to caregiver resources, and tips for managing cognitive decline.
Related: Using HIPAA compliant text messaging to track Alzheimer's progression
FAQs
Who is considered a personal representative under HIPAA?
A personal representative is an individual authorized under state or other laws to make healthcare decisions for those who cannot do so themselves, like someone with Alzheimer's disease.
What documentation is needed when obtaining patient consent?
Providers must document the consent process, capacity assessments, and involvement of legal representatives in the patient's medical record.
Is verbal consent considered valid under HIPAA?
While verbal consent can be a component of the consent process, HIPAA generally requires written documentation for explicit consent.
