Lastly you should never use standard mail under any circumstance when sending PHI.Īs with any rule, there are always exceptions. It also ensures you have a record of everyone who received the information in case the patient ever asks or if you are ever audited for compliance.įirst class mail is a protected class of mail and is acceptable for certain types of notices. In some cases, PHI should even be sent by certified mail, which means the intended recipient needs to sign for it.Ĭertified mail provides prove that the mail was delivered and verifies when it was received. Here too you must comply with HIPAA rules. The final method for sending PHI is through the mail. It is possible that the insecure nature of fax machines-and the growing use of email-may soon render faxing of PHI obsolete. Faxes should be stored in the machine’s memory and only printed by an authorized user.Fax machines should be kept behind a locked door.HIPAA fax rules must be applied in order to ensure that only the authorized person receives the PHI: In turn, anyone walking by can see printed faxes sitting out in the open. Incoming faxes might sit in a tray for hours until someone comes to check. Often, fax machines are kept in a public area. Send by Faxįaxing PHI is another quick and easy method however, it can be problematic. These services add extra protections to secure PHI and ensure only the authorized person can access it. In order to comply, you would need a specialized email encryption service.
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