It’s no surprise that physicians are embracing text messaging as a way to communicate with each another — and even with patients — given the convenience of the technology. It’s often easier to shoot off a quick text than to talk on the phone.
A recent survey by the University of Kansas School of Medicine found that 57 percent of pediatric hospitalists send work-related text messages. What’s more, 12 percent reported doing it more than 10 times a shift. It’s worth noting that most of the 106 physicians who responded to the survey have been in practice for less than a decade. But that’s a pretty strong indicator of how communication in a clinical setting is evolving.
As the way in which clinicians communicate grows, so do opportunities for HIPAA violations. Going to back to the University of Kansas survey, physicians acknowledged there are potential problems with texting. Some 41 percent of respondents said they worried they might be breaking HIPAA rules. Further heightening the potential for a breach is the fact that only 10 percent said their organization offered encryption software for texting.
So texters, and the organizations they work for, should be aware of what kind of information is being shared via text, and with whom. Getting the right security solution in place is critical for avoiding a potentially costly misstep.