Description
Examine communication rules, frequency, patient preferences, and honoring communication permissions in practical detail.
How much communication is too much and how much is too little when reaching out to your patients and their responsible parties? To answer this straightforward question, healthcare organizations are expected to separate and earmark particular proposed communications based upon purpose to stay aligned with several laws. A handful of federal laws map different rules for assuring that both the method and frequency with which you communicate with your patients (and their responsible parties) is consistent with your patients expectations and permissions. Under Federal Communication Commission (FCC) rules, different types of HIPAA communications are now treated differently. In addition, under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules any uses or disclosures made of patients nonpublic information that are not expressly permitted by consumers could even be viewed as a healthcare breach because of the unauthorized access. Finally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) who administers HIPAA may have its own perspective on what permissions you must have to communicate with patients and their responsible parties. In this presentation we will take a practical look at all of these rules and guidelines for how to communicate, how often to communicate, and how to learn and honor your patients communication permissions and preferences.
Date: 2024-03-07 Start Time: 1:00 PM ET End Time: 2:05 PM ET
Learning Objectives
* You will be able to define the various categories of HIPAA communications and distinguish which may occur and with what frequency without running afoul of the TCPA.
* You will be able to describe what a valid patients consent must include to meet the TCPAs standards.
* You will be able to discuss some practical strategies for learning patients communication preferences and honoring them.
* You will be able to explain why all types of HIPAA communications with patients are not treated the same way and why it is always important to seek to document patients communication preferences.