Secure Texting: Closing the Gap to Create Effective HIPAA Compliant Communication

Once a triage nurse has done an initial evaluation on a patient there are times when the protocol or circumstances require a physician to get involved. In these instances, it is critical for the nurse to get in touch with the provider on call for the practice to securely and effectively communicate the needs of the patient and requires relaying protected health information securely.

Traditionally, the nurse will page the doctor back to their phone number. The physician calls back, and the nurse relays the relevant information verbally. There are several drawbacks to this option.

1. It is time-consuming for the doctor. They have to call back and verbally listen to each case.
2. There is no confirmation if the provider received the page and can lead to a delay in care if the nurse does not follow up closely.
3. The doctor may be involved in a critical procedure or another call and does not know how urgent the request is from the nurse.

Secure texting was created to overcome these drawbacks and provides an efficient way to transfer information that does not hinder daily workflow.

With secure texting, the provider gets a notification from the nurse. The nurse can send protected health information securely. The provider can read the message, and the nurse gets a read notification confirming that the message has been received and read. This approach provides the provider with detailed written information as well as allows them to evaluate the urgency for the call to determine the proper callback time and plan before contacting the triage nurse again.

While there are many secure messaging platforms available – almost every one of them requires the provider to install and set up an app on their phone. It also requires ongoing support for the app.  If and when they switch phones, the operating system or app needs to be updated or have technical issues with the app.

TriageLogic provides a unique module that allows for all the features of secure texting and chatting with the nurse – but without an app required on the doctor’s phone. The nurse can auto-populate the patient information and send the provider’s cell phone a link (with no patient data). The provider follows the link and securely accesses the confidential message for the nurse. The provider can then call the nurse back, call the patient back or securely chat with the nurse. The nurse receives a notification when the message is delivered and when the message is read to provide continuity of care and prevent any lapse in communication. The messages and secure chat for the nurse are documented in the triage system for future reference.

Providers love the service because it does not require any set up on their part and takes less than 5 minutes to train on the system – which can quickly be done by the practice manager at the provider’s convenience. There is no impact to the service if they change phones or have updates to their device. Set up is quick and easy since there is no app to download and register.

For more information about secure texting capabilities, please contact TriageLogic today.