Q&A: Using personal cell phones to communicate with patients

Q. We acquired a home health agency and now employ home health nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, etc. Can we permit workforce members to use their personal cell phones to communicate with patients? Is there a HIPAA-compliant means of doing so for calls, email, and text messages?

A. You may allow members of your workforce to use their cell phones to communicate with patients if reasonable protections are in place to protect patient privacy. At a minimum, cell phones should have password protection. Text and email messages sent by workforce members should be limited to the minimum necessary and should not contain information about the patient’s diagnoses.

Editor’s note: This question was answered by Mary D. Brandt, MBA, RHIA, CHE, CHPS. Brandt is a healthcare consultant specializing in healthcare regulatory compliance and operations improvement. She is also an advisory board member for BOH. This information does not constitute legal advice. Consult legal counsel for answers to specific privacy and security questions. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent HCPro or ACDIS. Email your HIPAA questions to Editor Nicole Votta at nvotta@hcpro.com.