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HIPAA Checklist for Compliant Communications

Achieving HIPAA compliance is not a one-time task. It’s an ongoing activity to protect patient privacy, prevent breaches, and follow clear federal rules.

Clinics, healthcare providers and businesses need to regularly check for updates in HIPAA rules and regulations and ensure that they take appropriate measures to protect PHI and maintain privacy and security standards according to the updated norms. In such a scenario, compliance checklists can help them assess risks and keep track of their progress.

Why Use A HIPAA Checklist for Compliant Communication

Most HIPAA violations don’t happen because the clinic or healthcare organization intentionally ignored a HIPAA rule; they happen because sometimes it’s easy to overlook compliance policies in the middle of delivering quality care. Using checklists, like the Brightsquid HIPAA Compliant Communications Checklist, can help your clinic stay on top of things like ensuring documentation for risk assessments or overlooking secure email disclaimers or login timeouts.

Be Prepared for Audits

Using checklists ensures that your documents are in place and you are ready for audits by the HHS or OCR at any time.

Assign Accountability

True compliance is only achieved when the entire team is aware of their role in protecting data. Checklists help delegate these compliance responsibilities.

Build a Culture of Compliance

When compliance becomes part of your team’s daily workflow, security best practices become your clinic’s second nature, and HIPAA is no longer a burden.

Who Needs a HIPAA Compliant Communication Checklist?

The Brightsquid Compliant Communication Checklist is ideal for any healthcare clinic that sends, receives, or stores Protected Health Information (PHI) using digital tools like emails, text messages etc, and especially clinics that still rely on fax and postal service. 

This checklist is essential for

  • Dental, chiropractic, and physiotherapy clinics sending appointment reminders, treatment plans or statements via email or SMS
  • Medical practitioners conducting virtual consults using video platforms
  • Administrative staff coordinating referrals, billing, or claims electronically
  • Healthcare IT teams managing email platforms, apps, and integrations
  • Compliance officers responsible for policy enforcement and breach prevention
  • Business Associates like billing firms, software vendors, and transcription services handling PHI on behalf of providers

Frequently Asked Questions About HIPAA Compliance Checklist

Why do I need a communication-specific HIPAA checklist?
Using communication channels that do not comply with HIPAA standards is one of the most commonly identified HIPAA violations. A communication-specific checklist can help clinics identify gaps in communication security and privacy and correct them before they become a liability.
Does this checklist apply to small clinics and solo practitioners, too?
Yes. Small clinics and solo practitioners often overlook HIPAA communication protocols and end up violating HIPAA rules unintentionally. Because of this, they are also more likely to be targets of cyber attacks and data breaches. Hence, this checklist is especially useful for small clinic owners and healthcare providers.
What kind of communication risks does the checklist cover?
The Brightsquid HIPAA Communication Compliance checklist touches on email encryption and provider requirements, access and audit control, use of personal devices or email accounts, staff training on secure communication protocols, etc.
Can this checklist be used by business associates?
Yes this checklist can be used by business associates and any third-party vendor that handles PHI on behalf of the healthcare provider.

Don’t Wait for a Violation to Find Your Gaps

Download our free HIPAA Communications Compliance Checklist and guide your team to set up the right patient messaging platforms.
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