Protecting your information in the age of telehealth

Protecting-your-phi-virtual-care-768x512.png

According to the American Medical Association^®, 25 percent of patients used virtual care, or telehealth, in 2022, a significant increase from the pre-pandemic rate of just five percent. As virtual care continues to become more common, it’s critical to know how to safeguard your protected health information (PHI). PHI is any recorded medical information that is created, used or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service and that can be used to identify an individual.

While virtual care offers convenience, it can come with increased privacy concerns. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) warns that patients could encounter viruses or malware, unauthorized access of their information from cybercriminals, or accidental disclosures of their PHI. Read on to learn what steps you can take to prevent these things from happening to you.

Take virtual care appointments in privacy

Where you conduct telehealth plays a big role in security. The best way to ensure your confidentiality is to complete your appointment in an entirely private setting, such as your home or car. If this isn’t an option, consider using headphones and turning your device away from the view of others during your appointment.

It is also a good idea to turn off any electronic devices around you that may record what is being said, such as home security cameras, smart speakers and voice response apps on your device. This will ensure no information during your visit is overheard and protect your virtual care confidentiality.

Use precautions

Even if you take your telehealth call in a private location, you’re still not fully protected from all virtual care privacy concerns. To safeguard your information, it’s important to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks and charging stations, as they don’t offer the necessary protections for sensitive, personal information.

Additionally, it’s always beneficial to use any supplemental security precautions that are available to protect your personal health information. Consider using multi-factor authentication, encryption tools and the lock screen function, which automatically locks your device due to inactivity, to protect your PHI.

Take your virtual health appointments on a personal device if possible. Workplace and public devices can sometimes see and track your activity.

Always use strong, unique passwords to protect your personal health information. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) and choose a different password for every app, website and device used for your virtual care needs. This makes it harder for others to access your information. Change these passwords regularly and do not share them with anyone. Use a secure password manager to help you manage your account passwords.

Keep your device secure

To keep your telehealth privacy safe from malware and viruses, make sure your device has all available security updates installed. This can typically be done by turning on the automatic update option in Settings or installing them manually as they become available.

Ensure you delete any personal health information stored on your device as soon as it’s no longer needed, including photos and videos. This reduces the chance that someone will see it, even if they gain access to your device.

For extra protection, always ensure that you are conducting your virtual care sessions on a secure, verified application. Your provider or insurer should be able to recommend reputable platforms for this, such as Doctor On Demand^®.

If you or someone you know is dealing with a virtual care security concern and believe their privacy rights have been violated, you can report the violation to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) online. There is always some risk that comes with putting your personal information online — no matter the platform. It’s important to practice caution and stay alert for things that look out of the ordinary.

Questions?

If you have additional questions about telehealth appointments and technology or require accommodation, you should reach out to your provider prior to your appointment. For more information on protecting your personal health information during virtual visits, consult these additional tips and resources from the HHS.

If you’d like to learn more about virtual visits, which are included as a standard benefit for most Wellmark members, visit Doctor On Demand or download the app today.