As physical therapist practice expands to include telehealth, securing patients' protected health information (PHI) is more critical than ever before. In a webinar recorded in October 2018 (free to members), Kara R. Gainer, JD, and Matt Elrod, PT, DPT, MEd, revisited the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements and professional ethical considerations (.pdf) as they apply to remote patient communications. Here is a quick summary.

This is not formal legal advice, and you should always check all state and federal laws regarding telehealth requirements.

When evaluating potential telemedicine solutions for your organization, make sure to consider who can access PHI and how, as well as how data is secured during storage and transmission.