HIPAA Crackdown Results in Expansion of Secure Texting Solution for Physicians
Austin, Texas, October 28, 2013
DocbookMD, a physician-owned mobile health technology company based in Austin, Texas is expanding its presence on the east coast to Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, amid stronger scrutiny and high fines due to the new HIPAA patient privacy regulations that went into effect on September 23, 2013.
“Physicians need a way to connect real-time to discuss patient care – particularly for urgent cases – without fear of falling out of compliance with the newer, stricter patient privacy regulations,” says Dr. Tracey Haas, DO, MPH and Co-Founder of DocbookMD. “Standard texting is not HIPAA-secure, which means physicians, their practices and affiliated hospitals, now run a very real risk of getting hit with sizable financial penalties for each infraction.”
DocbookMD is a secure, HIPAA-compliant communication solution for physicians and their care teams that shares in real-time attachments of images such as EKGs and X-rays, resulting in more efficient care coordination. Using 256-bit encryption and a secure cloud server, DocbookMD exceeds HIPAA/HITECH standards for mobile technology, ultimately keeping health information safe, protected and easily accessible.
“Healthcare practitioners may be at risk of HIPAA violation penalties up to $1.5 million per infraction,” says Eugenie Shea, a leader in healthcare risk management. “Because the sharing of electronic patient information through mobile devices is on the rise, HIPAA-compliant communication solutions like DocbookMD are a must-have tool to protect physicians and their patients from possible information breaches while still having the convenience of mobile messaging.”
“What sets DocbookMD apart is that we have put physicians at the center of our mobile messaging solution,” notes Haas. “We have over 21,000 physician users across 37 states and over 60% of all messages are opened within five minutes. Given its ease of use, which is critical for a busy physician, we are seeing DocbookMD used as an integral part of everyday patient care – from consults with a specialist to follow-up outpatient visits. That we also help physicians avoid HIPAA violations is a bonus appreciated by all of our users.”
For more information visit docbookmd.com.
About DocbookMD
DocbookMD, built by physicians for physicians, is a rapidly growing HIPAA-secure messaging application for smartphone and tablet devices with over 21,000 physician users across 37 states. By putting doctors in control of the technology and transcending practice settings and other medical technology solutions, DocbookMD enables the kind of immediate, secure communication that can change the face of healthcare. Learn more at docbookmd.com.
