The recent discovery of a security flaw that allows Skype accounts to essentially be hijacked has again raised the issue of the security of web-based platforms—and whether providers can meet their HIPAA obligations when using these communication tools. The issue of Skype and similar platforms and HIPAA compliance is one that I am often asked about. In a previous post, I addressed the issue and concluded that providers who wish to use Skype or similar platforms proceed with great caution. I noted that the use of web-based platforms, especially those that are proprietary, may make it ...
Is Skype HIPAA-compliant? This is probably the question I get asked the most. For the sake of this post, I am using the term Skype to include Skype and similar free web-based communication platforms relying on proprietary voice over Internet technology.
As with so many things, the answer is complicated. But the question itself is misleading. Many vendors and manufacturers market their technology and products using terms such as “HIPAA compliant.”
However, products or technology cannot themselves be “HIPAA-compliant.” Hospitals, providers, and other covered entities ...
Blog Editors
Recent Updates
- The AI Doctor Is Out? How California’s Ab 489 Could Limit AI Development in Healthcare
- Complex Billing and Reasonable Interpretations: Jury Was Entitled to Find Fraud in Doctor’s Upcoding of Speedy COVID-19 Tests, Fourth Circuit Says
- Governor Kotek Signs Oregon’s SB 537, Strengthening Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care
- From Best Practices to Enforcement: Decoding DOJ’s July 29 Anti-Discrimination Guidance
- HRSA Seeks Applicants to Test 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program