The purpose of the read receipts feature in text messaging is to notify the sender when the recipient has read their message, confirming message delivery and acknowledgment. In healthcare, this feature benefits by ensuring timely communication between providers and patients.
Based on an RIT Digital Institutional Repository thesis on the uses of the read receipts feature, “Read receipts are a tool used by the mobile instant messaging applications to indicate the delivery of messages. This feature becomes one of the main features of mobile instant messaging applications, and it has an impact on people’s relationships and their attitudes.”
Read receipts are features in messaging apps and email services that notify the sender when the recipient has opened or read their message. When you send a message with read receipts enabled, the app monitors when the recipient opens the message and then sends back a confirmation to you.
This confirmation usually appears as a small check mark or a "seen" notice near the message, indicating that the recipient has viewed it.
See also: The guide to HIPAA compliant text messaging
When read receipts are activated, medical professionals can instantly verify when their messages are seen by their colleagues. This real-time confirmation is particularly helpful in urgent situations or when managing critical care, where quick and effective communication can directly influence patient outcomes.
Knowing that a message has been read helps eliminate the uncertainty of whether information has been received, reducing the need for follow-up calls or additional messages and saving valuable time. This feature is also beneficial in coordinating complex care scenarios involving multiple team members.
For instance, when a message about a patient's updated treatment plan is sent, read receipts ensure that all relevant parties, such as doctors, nurses, and specialists, are aware and have acknowledged the new information. This leads to more synchronized teamwork and can improve the efficiency and accuracy of patient care.
The read receipts feature assists healthcare organizations by providing:
When it comes to read receipts in healthcare messaging applications, these features can potentially reveal who accessed a patient’s information and exactly when it was accessed. This type of data could be classified as PHI because it provides indirect information about the patient's care and the personnel involved. This may create the requirement for compliance with HIPAA when using this feature.
This might include:
Title I of the ECPA provides, “Title I of the ECPA, which is often referred to as the Wiretap Act, prohibits the intentional actual or attempted interception, use, disclosure, or "procure[ment] [of] any other person to intercept or endeavor to intercept any wire, oral, or electronic communication." Title I also prohibits the use of illegally obtained communications as evidence. 18 U.S.C. § 2515.”
The ECPA is primarily concerned with unauthorized access and the interception of communications as they are transmitted or stored. Read receipts in messaging apps or email systems can potentially fall under the scope of the ECPA because they involve the transmission of electronic signals indicating that a message has been read.
The application of the ECPA to read receipts could involve several considerations:
Text messaging typically provides inadequate security for healthcare communications because it does not incorporate essential security features needed to protect sensitive patient data. Standard text messaging services usually do not have secure encryption, meaning that the messages sent between healthcare providers are not encrypted from the point of sending to the point of reception. This lack of encryption makes it possible for unauthorized individuals to intercept and read the contents of a message as it travels through various network points, such as servers and routers.
Paubox Texting is a messaging service that provides HIPAA-compliant text messaging capabilities, allowing healthcare providers to send secure texts to patients' iPhone and Android devices. Initially launched at the ViVE 2024 Los Angeles conference, it offered the ability to send texts via API.
Recently, Paubox Texting has added a read receipts feature, which enhances communication by confirming to the sender when a message has been read by the recipient. This feature is particularly important in healthcare as it ensures that sensitive information has been received and seen by the intended party, helping in maintaining effective and timely communication.
The security of Paubox Texting, including its read receipts, protects patient data by adhering to HIPAA guidelines, which require that any electronic transmission of health information be secure to prevent unauthorized access.
See also: Read receipts added to Paubox Texting
In many apps, read receipts in group chats show when each participant has read the message, often indicated by their profile picture or initials next to the read indicator.
Not all messaging platforms support read receipts, and the availability can vary based on the app version or the device used.
Some apps offer modes or settings (like turning on flight mode) that allow you to read messages without sending a read receipt, though this may not work consistently across all platforms.