When your telehealth link fails, and your telehealth session won’t connect when trying to initiate a client appointment, it’s essential to have backup options in place. As a therapist, you still need a way to conduct compliant remote sessions with your clients. This is where HIPAA-friendly alternative video chat options come in handy as backup solutions.
This article outlines platforms you can reliably turn to when your main video tool is down. We’ll cover alternatives that align with both our company’s policies and your professional requirements for protected health information (PHI).
Some HIPAA-compliant options identified by Health and Human Services include:
- Skype for Business / Microsoft Teams
- Updox
- VSee
- Zoom for Healthcare
- Doxy.me
- Google G Suite Hangouts Meet
- Cisco Webex Meetings / Webex Teams
- Amazon Chime
- GoToMeeting
Rula does not endorse or recommend any of these platforms. Also, please note that a BAA may be required to ensure HIPAA compliance.
Please note that Rula patients have provided informed consent to receive emails and texts that are unencrypted (details here and here), which provides additional protections against HIPAA
risks. Rula will not be monitoring or controlling HIPAA compliance for providers using personal platforms.
To comply with the law, the following steps should be taken by you as a provider if you would like to use a video platform as a backup (instead of the phone) when an provider portal link is not working:
- Create a personal account with a HIPAA-compliant video service.
- Obtain a Business Associates Agreement (BAA) with the service, if needed.
- Continue to schedule all patient appointments within the Rula provider portal.
- Our system will continue to send Zoom links to patients 24 hours prior to their appointment.
- If, and only if, both the link within the Rula provider portal AND AdvancedMD is not working, please email the client in real time with a video link you created through your personal account.
- Continue to document as you normally would to identify the location of service as telehealth/video.
Technical Difficulties With Video
As stated in Telehealth Appointment Policies, if you experience any technical connectivity issues causing disruption to a scheduled video visit, you must give the client a call. Then, you can go ahead and continue the session by phone. Refer to your initial email from Support if you need to track down the client’s phone number.
For any HIPAA-related questions or concerns, please contact privacy@rula.com.