Mental health providers can use HIPAA compliant emails to enhance the support and resources available to individuals with psychosis and their families. Additionally, it can facilitate ongoing communication, education, and care coordination while upholding patient privacy.
What is psychosis?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Psychosis refers to a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality. During an episode of psychosis, a person’s thoughts and perceptions are disrupted and they may have difficulty recognizing what is real and what is not.”
It is estimated that “between 15 and 100 people out of 100,000 develop psychosis each year.” So, the NIMH “continues to prioritize research on and expansion of treatments for early psychosis… [providing] resources for researchers, health care providers, administrators, and people experiencing psychosis and their families.”
Coordinated specialty care
NMIH suggests providing coordinated specialty care for individuals with psychosis, which consists of multiple components:
- “Individual or group psychotherapy
- Family support and education programs
- Medication management
- Supported employment and education services
- Case management”
Furthermore, the NIMH suggests keeping people with psychosis “involved in their treatment planning and consulted in making decisions about their care… which will help them stay engaged throughout the recovery process.”
Can emails offer effective support?
Yes, research on using digital tools to engage patients with psychosis and their families showed that “when offered the choice, most participants with psychosis and their families chose remote administration methods”, where 90.5% of patients and family members (91.6%) requested to receive the consent form and survey by email.
A qualitative study on engaging with a web-based psychosocial intervention for psychosis showed that while patients “experienced several challenges to ongoing engagement with a web-based intervention… adjunctive emails present an important design feature to maintain interest and motivation to engage with the intervention.”
One participant stated, “It sort of made it feel a little more personalized, made me more open to accessing the service. Knowing that there was a real person… on the other end made a fair difference.”
So, providers can use HIPAA compliant emails to keep individuals involved and informed in their care. Providers can also tailor their HIPAA compliant email-based interventions based on patient treatment goals, helping patients stay engaged throughout their recovery.
Using HIPAA complaint emails in coordinated specialty care
Individual or group psychotherapy
Providers can use HIPAA compliant email to schedule therapy sessions, share resources and worksheets, and facilitate additional support between face-to-face sessions.
Family support and education programs
Providers can email family members educational materials, resources, and communication tips. Additionally, providers can offer virtual family sessions or support groups using HIPAA compliant emails, helping families connect with each other and with mental health professionals.
Medication management
Providers can use a HIPAA compliant emailing platform, like Paubox, to send medication-related information, like medication guides, dosage instructions, and potential side effects. Providers can also encourage individuals to reply with any concerns for personalized medication management while promoting active treatment involvement.
Supported employment and education services
HIPAA compliant emails can be used to share job opportunities or educational resources and provide ongoing support and encouragement. For example, a provider can use HIPAA compliant emails to send newsletters with job openings, while protecting patient privacy.
Case management
Providers can use HIPAA compliant emails to coordinate appointments, referrals, and support services. Regular email updates from case managers can help patients stay informed and conveniently ask questions.
FAQs
Can regular email services like Gmail or Outlook be used for HIPAA compliant communication?
No, regular email services are not HIPAA compliant, so providers must use a HIPAA compliant emailing platform like Paubox when emailing patients.
What makes an email HIPAA compliant?
Providers must obtain patient consent for email communication and use HIPAA compliant emailing platforms, like Paubox, which encrypts emails and maintains audit logs of email activity.
Can providers share attachments via HIPAA compliant email?
Yes, HIPAA compliant emails secure transmission of attachments containing sensitive patient information through encryption and secure access controls.
Go deeper: Do email attachments need to be encrypted to be HIPAA compliant?
