Requirements for Written Communications Via Electronic Mail – 844 Ind. Admin. Code 5-3-4

Additionally, physicians must maintain written policies and procedures for the use of patient-physician electronic mail.  The policies and procedures must be periodically reviewed for currency and maintained in an accessible and readily available manner for review.  Such policies and procedures must at least address:

• Privacy
• Health care personnel who will process messages
• Hours of operation
• Types of transactions that will be permitted electronically
• Required patient information to be included in the communication, such as patient name, identification number, and type of transaction
• Archival and retrieval of patient medical data
• Quality oversight mechanisms
• Protocol to be followed in emergency situations

Sufficient security measures should be in place to assure confidentiality and integrity of patient-identifiable information, and transmissions should be adequately password protected and electronically encrypted.  Also, medical practice sites must clearly indicate alternative forms of communication for urgent matters, and should configure email systems to include an automatic reply to acknowledge message delivery.

Related Laws:

844 Ind. Admin. Code 5-3-6