HIPAA compliant email is a step forward in the evolution of patient communication.
Many patients prefer communicating with their healthcare provider via email because it expands consultation, treatment and patient care opportunities. Read more to find out how you can provide your patients with curated information, news and advice through HIPAA compliant email. Let your patients get information from you, not random internet sites.
Improve patient outcomes through email
Research on the impact of physician email communication has been positive, with both patients and providers noting convenience and improved quality of care. The outcomes noted were increased access to healthcare providers, enhancements in communication between patients and providers, improvements in meeting patients' informational needs, increased patient empowerment, and improved blood sugar control among diabetic patients who received supportive emails.
Although the benefits have been noted, physician use of email communication with patients is low compared to patient needs: On average, only 13% of providers use email while 70% of patients say they are more likely to choose a provider that offers reminders for follow-up care via email or text.
Download: Whitepaper: Are Patient Portals Ruining Your Healthcare Business?
Increase patient loyalty through the use of HIPAA compliant email
Many patients report dissatisfaction in their communication with healthcare providers. Offering your patients the ability to contact your offices through email is an excellent option to make your patients feel heard. In addition, this approach increases patient engagement and retention.
Increase patient satisfaction through email messaging
In a recent study, email was shown to improve the doctor-patient relationship by improving communication. Patients appreciated the use of convenient email and satisfaction among patients and physicians improved. On top of that, the volume of messages and the time spent answering messages among the physicians did not increase.
Greater patient compliance when you control the information
Patients who are informed and effectively motivated are more likely to adhere to their treatment recommendations. Patient non-adherence can be a pervasive threat to health and wellbeing and carries an appreciable economic burden. In some disease conditions, more than 40% of patients sustain significant risks by misunderstanding, forgetting or ignoring healthcare advice. This problem can carry a substantial economic burden. Yearly expenditures for the consequences of non-adherence are estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Conclusion
Implementing a HIPAA compliant email system may seem like a daunting challenge. However, it’s a lot easier than you think. Paubox has a variety of products that can help you achieve security for your patients.
Paubox Email Suite automatically encrypts all outbound emails and delivers them directly to your patient’s inbox without requiring a password or portal to read the information. It works with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Exchange.
With our Premium plan level, you also get the following features to protect your inboxes from malicious email threats:
- ExecProtect – protects against display name spoofing.
- Zero Trust Email – requires an additional proof of legitimacy before delivering an email to your inbox.
- Email archiving – backs up all emails to a protected server and allows for easy search.
- Data loss prevention – ensures that sensitive data cannot be accidentally or maliciously transmitted by unauthorized parties.
Overall, implementing HIPAA compliant email in your practice provides huge benefits for patients and practitioners alike—creating greater patient satisfaction and better outcomes.
Additional healthcare email resources
Download: Healthcare's Guide to HIPAA Compliant Email Marketing
- HIPAA compliant email marketing: What you need to know
- HIPAA compliant email marketing use cases
- HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide [2023 update]
- Healthcare's Ultimate Guide to Gmail
- What is PHI?
- Implementing HIPAA-safe email communication for older patients