Using HIPAA compliant emails to increase bacterial meningitis awareness

“Bacterial meningitis is a serious and potentially life-threatening infection that kills more than 300,000 people a year worldwide,” the AMA explains in an article on ‘What doctors wish patients knew about bacterial meningitis.’

Understanding meningitis

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. While some cases are viral and resolve without treatment, bacterial meningitis can be deadly within a day. Survivors may face permanent hearing loss, brain damage, or amputations.

Despite being preventable and treatable, the CDC reports surging meningococcal cases, disproportionately affecting people aged 30–60, Black individuals, and adults with HIV.

As Dr. Jeffrey Silvers, infectious diseases physician associated with the AMA, explains, “Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency.” 

However, many families delay treatment because they don’t recognize the symptoms in time. “A child can progress from not hungry, tired, with fever and headache to dying within a few hours,” the expert warns. 

Therefore, healthcare providers must encourage public education on bacterial meningitis to help increase awareness and promote prevention strategies.

Email is the most trusted way to reach patients

While there are many ways to communicate public health information, email consistently ranks as the most trusted channel. A 2024 Statistica survey found that “In 2023, the number of global e-mail users amounted to 4.37 billion and is set to grow to 4.89 billion users in 2027.”

However, HIPAA laws mandate that emails containing individuals’ protected information (PHI) must be encrypted to maintain privacy and security.

Secure email solutions, like Paubox, give healthcare providers a platform to raise meningitis awareness. More specifically, it allows providers to securely send vaccine reminders, outbreak alerts, or educational content, giving patients direct access to information that can help them make informed decisions about their health.  

What patients must know about meningitis

Bacterial meningitis affects the membranes around the brain and spinal cord and can cause sudden fever, headaches, light sensitivity, stiff neck, and confusion. According to Dr. Silvers, “The person can go from awake and answering questions to unresponsive in just a few hours.” In other words, every minute counts.

HIPAA compliant emails can warn patients that although the condition is rare, the number of U.S. cases has risen sharply since 2021. In 2023, the CDC reported 438 confirmed and probable cases. These emails can specifically target at risk groups including:

• Parents, on behalf of their infants and children under 5.
• Young adults, especially college students.
• People with weakened immune systems.
• Pregnant individuals and older adults.
• People living in crowded or communal housing.

As Runde, Anjum, and Hafner note in their NIH clinical summary, “College students living in dorms or other close quarters are at increased risk,” while “adults with underlying immunocompromise such as status post splenectomy, are at higher risk.”

Additionally, healthcare providers can use HIPAA compliant emails to answer common questions, like:

• “What are the signs of meningitis?”
• “When should I bring my child in?”
• “Is this contagious?”
• “Should I be vaccinated?”

Secure emails allow instant communication with the patient rather than them waiting for a call-back or in-person appointment. This could result in fewer delays and less stress when time-sensitive and informed patient decisions are made.

For example, using secure email, providers can send urgent alerts like:

• “If your child has a fever and can’t touch their chin to their chest, seek emergency care now.”
• “There’s a meningitis outbreak in your area. Vaccination is your best protection.”
• “Have you had your booster shot? People aged 16–21 and college students should get vaccinated.”

Dr. Silvers states, “Most people with bacterial meningitis who are treated recover,” but also warns, “Delaying medical care can lead to long-term complications such as seizures, hearing loss, paralysis, and problems with daily functioning.”

Therefore, vaccination is a patient’s best defense as proven with Hemophilus meningitis. According to Dr. Silvers, “Vaccinations have changed Hemophilus meningitis from a common, horrible diagnosis to a rare entity in the United States.” The same goes for pneumococcal and meningococcal meningitis, which are three of the most serious forms, and are all vaccine-preventable.

Improving vaccine awareness

The CDC recommends meningococcal vaccines for adolescents at age 11–12, with a booster at 16. According to Runde, Anjum, and Hafner, “Vaccines are available to help prevent bacterial meningitis. Children can get a meningitis vaccine around ages 11 to 12, followed by a booster at age 16.” Additional doses may be recommended for those with certain health risks or during community outbreaks.

Yet awareness remains low, especially among adults who assume meningitis is only a childhood disease. More specifically, a 2023 GSK survey GSK found that “parents know less about meningitis compared to some other childhood diseases.” 

Additionally, a “multi-country survey [found] 93% of parents couldn’t identify all three of the most common meningitis symptoms. While 88% considered meningitis to be a serious childhood disease, one in three are not aware that there are meningitis vaccinations available.”

Sending personalized, secure emails can help fill this gap by:

• Alerting patients when they’re due for a meningitis vaccine
• Notifying families of local outbreaks or school exposures
• Sharing CDC guidance tailored to high-risk individuals
• Encouraging catch-up vaccinations and boosters

These targeted messages raise awareness and prompt action. Personalized HIPAA compliant emails gives health information directly to patients, reducing delays in preventive care. 

Dr. Silvers notes, “Vaccinations to prevent bacterial meningitis have been around for many years and have proven to be safe and extremely effective.” In one outbreak, “Thirty-six people developed infection [of which] 35 were unvaccinated. Almost 20% died.” 

These statistics show that we need proactive healthcare communication. So, providers must secure emails to educate patients, combat vaccine hesitancy, and ultimately save lives, especially in communities without access to in-person care.

Patient education

Educating patients starts well before the emergency room, where early awareness can be the difference between life and death. According to Dr. Silvers, “As soon as you are concerned about meningitis, you should go for immediate medical care.” 

So, how do we educate patients and prevent misinformation? 

According to the American Nurse Journal’s book on Preventing the spread of misinformation, the effects of misinformation can include “confusion and support for behaviors that can harm health, lead to mistrust in science, and ultimately undermine the public health response…”

Therefore, we must “implement policies and technical improvements that evaluate, promote, and imbed information from credible and verifiable sources of health information. Content labeling and transparency also can help reduce misinformation.”

For example, if a pediatric clinic has concerns about a local outbreak of bacterial meningitis, they can use Paubox email to send verified information from the CDC and local health departments, including symptoms to watch for, when to seek care, and how to access vaccines. This could help deliver accurate information directly to patients, reducing panic, increasing vaccination rates and preventing unnecessary ER visits.

Paubox email automatically makes patient education HIPAA compliant, sending encrypted emails directly to patients’ inboxes without any additional passwords or inconvenient patient portals.

Using an interprofessional approach

As the AMA stresses, doctors and care teams must educate patients on meningitis prevention before it’s too late. Runde, Anjum, and Hafner recommend using an interprofessional approach, where infectious disease experts, ER physicians, lab technicians, nurses, and pharmacists coordinate care from diagnosis to treatment.

Studies show that coordinated care improves patient outcomes. Involving multiple healthcare professionals allows patients to receive comprehensive care that addresses all aspects of their condition. 

Moreover, patients with symptoms of bacterial meningitis can receive coordinated care quickly, leading to faster diagnosis and treatment initiation, which is required to prevent serious complications and improve survival rates.

Collaboration also helps patients receive appropriate follow-up care and monitoring to prevent recurrent infections or long-term complications. Additionally, it allows healthcare teams to track symptoms, adjust treatments, and support patients in recovery. 

More specifically, coordinated care for conditions like bacterial meningitis can help providers catch neurological complications, hearing loss, or required rehabilitation services. For instance, a hospital treating post-meningitis patients can use HIPAA compliant emails to follow-up care instructions, medication reminders, and audiology referrals directly to patients’ inboxes. 

HIPAA compliant emails can maintain continuity of care while protecting patient data, so providers can combine clinical collaboration with secure communication for better health outcomes.

Go deeper: Enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration with HIPAA compliant email

FAQs

What are HIPAA compliant emails?

HIPAA compliant emails are secure email platforms that adhere to the regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect patients’ protected health information (PHI).

Can patients request additional support or clarification via email?

Yes, patients can directly email their providers for clarification, their provider can then respond with a HIPAA compliant email, offering support while ensuring patient privacy. 

Can HIPAA compliant emails include attachments, like medical images or documents?

Yes, HIPAA compliant emails can include attachments containing medical images, documents, or other sensitive information, protecting patient privacy and preventing unauthorized access during transmission and at rest.