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Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Here is what the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has to say on how the HIPAA Privacy Rule applies to messages:

[ Source: HHS Questions & Answers https://answers.hhs.gov ]

Q: Are appointment reminders allowed under the HIPAA Privacy Rule without authorizations?

A: Yes, appointment reminders are considered part of treatment of an individual and, therefore, can be made without an authorization.

Q: May physician offices or pharmacists leave messages for patients at their homes, either on an answering machine or with a family member, to remind them of appointments or to inform them that a prescription is ready? May providers continue to mail appointment or prescription refill reminders to patients’ homes?

A: Yes, the HIPAA Privacy Rule permits health care providers to communicate with patients regarding their health care. This includes communicating with patients at their homes, whether through the mail or by phone or in some other manner. In addition, the Rule does not prohibit covered entities from leaving messages for patients on their answering machines. However, to reasonably safeguard the individual’s privacy, covered entities should take care to limit the amount of information disclosed on the answering machine. For example, a covered entity might want to consider leaving only its name and number and other information necessary to confirm an appointment, or ask the individual to call back.

A covered entity also may leave a message with a family member or other person who answers the phone when the patient is not home. The Privacy Rule permits covered entities to disclose limited information to family members, friends, or other persons regarding an individual’s care, even when the individual is not present. However, covered entities should use professional judgment to assure that such disclosures are in the best interest of the individual and limit the information disclosed. See 45 CFR 164.510(b)(3).

In situations where a patient has requested that the covered entity communicate with them in a confidential manner, such as by alternative means or at an alternative location, the covered entity must accommodate that request, if reasonable. For example, the Department considers a request to receive mailings from the covered entity in a closed envelope rather than by postcard to be a reasonable request that should be accommodated. Similarly, a request to receive mail from the covered entity at a post office box rather than at home, or to receive calls at the office rather than at home are also considered to be reasonable requests, absent extenuating circumstances. See 45 CFR 164.522(b).

“Adopting the HouseCalls Pro platform has endeared us to our operations and executive teams. ACPNY has implemented a variety of automated workflows and over twenty Epic-event-based messages. We also love the self-service capability and on-demand broadcast messaging.”

Venus Jones | Director, Revenue Cycle Systems
AdvantageCare Physicians

“Since adopting HouseCalls Pro to capture real-time, self-reported patient information via SMS and record that in Epic, we have continued to expand the use of automated workflows. The configurability of the system and the service provided has been excellent.”

Anthony Brown | Director, Application Services
Kettering Health Network

“Recently, a whole practice had to move. HouseCalls Pro provides tools that send reminders out, so we didn’t have a time delay to send out customized messages. We didn’t have to wait for TeleVox’s staff to build something. That helped our practice because we didn’t have to reach out to each patient to let them know where the new location was. Reaching out to each person would have cost a lot of money, so TeleVox’s system has saved us a lot of money. Everything ties into the finances. With this solution, we can utilize our time for other things. Our patient turnover would cost us in the long run if we weren’t utilizing the time slots and the follow-up program. Patients have come back, and we have made them aware that they need to be seen for things. The solution has definitely had a positive financial impact.”

Manager | Customer Interview Conducted by KLAS Research About ROI/Cost

“TeleVox’s greatest strength is customer service. When I have questions or need somebody to intervene, I get very good responses from my account manager. That individual is excellent and always checks on us to see whether there is anything they can do.”

Manager | Customer Interview Conducted by KLAS Research About Service and Support

“I really believe in the HouseCalls Pro product, and I regularly engage in networking with other people that use the system. I am a big fan of the platform and the framework on which the platform is built.”

Manager | Customer Interview Conducted by KLAS Research About Technology

The Patient Family Notifications workflow has helped a lot with logistics. Especially since we have limitations on people entering the hospital due to COVID protocols. It has really helped coordinate with rides. Family members drop the patients off and eventually they get the message that their family member is in recovery and know it’s time to head back into the hospital to pick them up. That is very helpful.

Claudia Andrade | Senior Applications Analyst
Cambridge Health Alliance
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