Covered entities may consider Pega for its customer relationship management software, which can be used on-premise or Pega's cloud platform. However, healthcare organizations need to take HIPAA compliance into consideration. Let's review if Pega meets the HIPAA security guidelines for protected health information (PHI).
Related: HIPAA compliant email
Pega and the business associate agreement
Third-party vendors that store, transmit, or have access to PHI are considered business associates. When covered entities work with business associates, they need to ensure that PHI is protected. This is why it's necessary for a business associate agreement (BAA) to be signed by both parties.
The BAA covers the duties and responsibilities of the business associate regarding PHI protection. If there's no BAA signed, then it's not considered a HIPAA compliant vendor.
Pega seems willing to sign a BAA. In its client responsibilities for Pega Cloud Services, it says a client can "notify Pegasystems of specific data domiciling or regulatory requirements, such as U.S. or EU-only data storage or Business Associate Agreements." It also demands that PHI not be stored in its system unless the client is using the Pega Cloud HIPAA/HITECH Edition.
Pega and data security
Pega has specific HIPAA products, and it mentions the following security measures:
Is Pega HIPAA compliant?
Yes, Pega can be HIPAA compliant. Covered entities will need to reach out to the company to establish a BAA, and they should only use the HIPAA edition of Pega for full compliance.
How Paubox can help with HIPAA compliance
Pega may be a possible option for covered entities, but don't forget to consider your email security. Paubox Email Suite lets your employees send encrypted emails directly to your patient’s inbox. You can say goodbye to patient portals and forgotten passwords.
Paubox is also easy to integrate into your current email provider, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, w hich means that your employees won't struggle to use Paubox. Our HITRUST CSF certified software ensures that PHI is protected when you send emails. Paubox also includes a BAA in all plans, so covered entities can ensure that emails are kept secure.
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