HIPAA is an acronym that stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This act basically protects insurance coverage for workers and families if the lose or change jobs. Another part of the Act established standards for electronic transactions, as well as identifiers concerning providers, health insurance coverage, and employers. Another important part of HIPAA is the HIPAA privacy rule, including the use of HIPAA compliant text messaging. A medical professional cannot give out information about the health care provided, unless they have a signed document from the patient allowing it. This requirement is an important aspect of making sure you are using HIPAA compliant text messaging.

Medical professionals understand how technology, including Hipaa compliant text messaging, has transformed their jobs. A study by the nonprofit group the Commonwealth Fund, reported that Danish doctors reported that as early as the late 1990s, they were saving an average of 30 minutes a day, by using an electronic system to prescribe drugs and order lab reports. Interestingly, only 46 percent of American medical professionals use electronic software to maintain records. This may be a good reason to understand HIPAA compliant text messaging and other forms of electronic communication concerning patients.

Currently in the U.S., there are 551 certified medical information software companies. Together these companies sell approximately 1,137 different programs including HIPAA compliant text messaging services. HIPAA compliant text message and other mobile health applications are among these programs. Secure instant messaging and HIPAA compliant text messaging is important to protecting patient privacy. Medical mobile apps can obviously help a doctor or other medical professional perform his or her duties more effectively and efficiently by providing instance access to patient files and records.

If you are a medical professional, you understand how cutting edge these applications are, including HIPAA compliant text messaging. You want to maintain a good working relationship with your patients by providing better care, and yet you know your responsibilities to protecting their privacy. You may want to consider contacting a medical software company to see how HIPAA complaint text messaging and other software can benefit your practice.