Using HIPAA compliant email for palliative care communication

HIPAA compliant email improves the quality and coordination of care between patients, providers, and family members during a particularly difficult time for all those involved. This allows for secure, efficient, and clear interactions. 

What are the stages of palliative care?

1. Assessment and planning: The journey of palliative care starts with an initial consultation between the patient, their family, and the palliative care team. During this meeting, the team conducts a thorough assessment of the patient's medical history, current symptoms, and overall health condition. Following the assessment, the team collaborates to develop a personalized care plan. 
2. Symptom management: Effective symptom management is at the heart of palliative care. The care team focuses on addressing a wide range of physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Various methods, including medications, therapies, and lifestyle adjustments, are employed to alleviate these symptoms and improve the patient's comfort.  
3. Ongoing communication: The care team ensures that there are regular updates and open lines of communication between the patient, their family, and healthcare providers. Based on these updates, the care plan is reviewed and adjusted as needed to respond to the patient’s evolving needs and preferences. 
4. Support for families: Palliative care recognizes the position families play in the care process. Therefore, providing support for families is an integral part of the care plan. This support includes counseling and education to help family members understand the patient's condition and how to effectively care for them at home. Families are also guided through difficult decisions and the emotional challenges that come with caregiving. 
5. End of life care: When a patient's condition progresses to the final stages, the focus of palliative care shifts to end of life care, often referred to as hospice care. The primary goal during this stage is to ensure the patient's comfort and maintain their quality of life in their remaining days. 
   
   

The common communication challenge within each stage of palliative care 

Based on a podcast episode from the AMA Journal of Ethics. “...a patient who’s recently been diagnosed with severe cancer comes to see a health care provider with lots of emotion, and it’s important, I think the duty is really on the provider to be as clear and accurate in the communication as possible. And this doesn’t mean a data dump or going through every clinical trial with percentages…”

Miscommunication can occur due to medical jargon, leading to misunderstandings about the patient's condition and treatment options. In the initial assessment and planning stage, if healthcare providers do not clearly explain the patient's diagnosis, prognosis, and available treatment options, patients and their families might not fully understand the severity of the condition or the purpose of certain treatments. This can result in unrealistic expectations or reluctance to pursue certain care strategies.

As the care moves into symptom management, unclear communication about medication purposes, potential side effects, or nonpharmacological interventions can lead to improper symptom control and diminished patient comfort. During ongoing communication, frequent updates are needed to adjust the care plan based on the patient's changing needs. Misunderstandings here can cause gaps in care or inappropriate interventions. 

In the final stages of palliative care, particularly around end of life decisions, any miscommunication about the patient's wishes for their remaining time can result in care that is not aligned with their values, leading to distress for both the patient and their family. 

How HIPAA compliant email complements palliative care 

1. Secure transmission of complex care plans: In palliative care, HIPAA compliant email allows healthcare providers to securely send comprehensive care plans. This ensures that everyone involved has access to the same accurate information.
2. Regular symptom monitoring and response: Palliative care patients often experience fluctuating symptoms that require close monitoring. Through HIPAA compliant email, patients can regularly report their symptoms in detail to their care team. The care team can then respond promptly with tailored advice or adjustments to the treatment plan.
3. Coordination of multidisciplinary team meetings: Palliative care frequently involves input from a multidisciplinary team, including oncologists, palliative care specialists, nurses, social workers, and more. HIPAA compliant email facilitates the coordination of these team meetings by securely sharing agendas, patient updates, and discussion points. 
4. Clarification of advance directives and legal preferences: Patients in palliative care often have specific wishes regarding their end of life care, documented in advance directives or living wills. HIPAA compliant email enables the secure sharing and discussion of these legal documents between patients, families, and healthcare providers. 
5. Personalized educational resources: Palliative care involves educating patients and their families about the illness, care procedures, and what to expect. Healthcare providers can use HIPAA compliant email to send personalized educational materials. 
6. Real time collaboration on treatment adjustments: Patients’ conditions can change rapidly, necessitating quick adjustments to treatment plans. HIPAA compliant email allows for real time collaboration among care team members when these adjustments are needed. 
7. Emotional support and counseling resources: Patients and families often need emotional and psychological support during palliative care. HIPAA compliant email can be used to send information about counseling services, mental health resources, and support group schedules. 

See also: Top HIPAA compliant email services

FAQs

What are the differences between HIPAA compliant email and other secure messaging platforms?

HIPAA compliant email specifically complies with HIPAA to protect patient information, while other secure messaging platforms may follow different security standards and protocols.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness, aimed at improving the quality of life for both the patient and their family.

What is email encryption?

TLS 1.2 or higher.