Advances in technology over the years have done a great deal in making many professions much more efficient and successful. One such profession that has benefited greatly from new technological developments is the field of medicine. Healthcare professionals are constantly seeking new ways to provide their patients with the absolute best care and treatment that is possible.
Communication is considered to be absolutely crucial between healthcare professionals. Constant communication is necessary because it is the only way to ensure that a patient under the care of a healthcare facility is receiving constant care and the treatments they need. Today, a great deal of communication in the everyday world is done through the use of mobile technology. The healthcare industry has adapted to this with the creation of mobile health applications. With the use of mobile healthcare applications that utilize services such as HIPAA secure texting and HIPAA compliant email services, physicians can ideally provide better care to their patients.
The use of technology in the medical industry has been steadily increasing in recent years. President Barack Obama signed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, better known as the Hitech Act, in February, 2009. However, statistics show that electronic record keeping software is still only used by about 46 percent of American medical practitioners today.
A growing concern in the medical industry is making employee owned devices such as cell phones and tablets HIPAA secured. The use and disclosure of Protected Health Information held by entities such as health care clearinghouses, employer sponsored health plans, health insurers, and medical service providers that engage in certain transactions with patients is protected by the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions, such as electronic medical record keeping, and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers is required by Title II of HIPAA. With HIPAA secure texting and HIPAA compliant email services provided by mobile healthcare apps, though, a medical facility can be assured that their employees are communicating in full compliance with HIPAA.