As medical students begin clinical practice, their work involves highly sensitive information, like patient history, test results, and discussions regarding mental health.
These students must use HIPAA compliant emails to protect patient privacy and avoid potential data breaches that could damage their professional reputations.
What is HIPAA and how does it apply to medical students?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets the guidelines as to how healthcare providers must handle patients’ protected health information (PHI).
Like all licensed professionals, “All students must follow HIPAA rules when participating in clinical activities at affiliated hospitals and clinics; HIPAA compliance includes maintaining confidentiality of paper and electronic health records,” explains the Harvard Medical School’s student handbook.
Moreover, non-compliance can result in severe legal consequences to the student’s professional path.
Go deeper: What are the penalties for HIPAA violations?
The balance of mental health privacy
Perhaps the most sensitive areas in health surround psychiatric illnesses, where patient confidentiality often takes a backseat to privacy breaches. As final-year medical student Nikhil Udho points out, "I remember several times at the hospital and clinic space that mental health is something nobody looks into, and there's no privacy concerning such sensitive matters.”
“On one hand, you want privacy and confidentiality, while on the other, you want awareness and disclosure surrounding sensitive topics such as mental health,” he adds.
Nikhil's observation raises the ethical dilemma of maintaining patient privacy while allowing open dialogue on mental health. The answer to this problem lies in secure information management.
How HIPAA compliant emails help protect PHI
Medical students must use HIPAA compliant email solutions like Paubox. These solutions encrypt communications so only authorized individuals can access them. More specifically, it allows medical students to discuss patient care with other healthcare professionals for referrals without compromising sensitive data.
As Nikhil says, "We [more] means and methods to help bridge this gap between privacy/confidentiality and awareness/disclosure. This is where I believe avenues such as secure email employed by healthcare workers would be beneficial."
Ultimately, implementing a secure email solution will help students balance privacy and open dialogue on sensitive topics like mental health. Such systems also protect the students from accidental PHI breaches with severe consequences.
FAQs
Do medical students need to follow HIPAA regulations?
Yes, medical students must adhere to HIPAA regulations when handling protected health information (PHI).
What is PHI?
PHI stands for protected health information, which includes any information that can identify a patient and is related to their health status, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare.
Can medical students email patient information?
Yes, but they must use HIPAA compliant emailing platforms, like Paubox, to safeguard patients’ protected health information (PHI). These platforms offer encryption, authentication, and other security measures to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or potential breaches.
