Security Concerns Of Telehealth Counseling
Many of our clients are relying on our services being delivered via Telehealth during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Recently; there have been various articles surrounding security and privacy concerns with certain platforms being used for Telehealth Counseling. Many rules and regulations have been relaxed to allow healthcare providers to use various methods of delivering services during this time. However; this has come with some unintended consequences related to privacy and security.
In light of recent security grievances against various teleconferencing applications, we wanted to assure you that all providers at our practice use Telehealth by SimplePractice. This platform is not powered by Zoom or a variety of other platforms that were not originally intended to be used by Mental Health Professionals.
We take our clients’ security and privacy seriously and after reaching out to learn more about the security features of our platform we were provided with the following information:
“Telehealth by SimplePractice is powered by Vonage/TokBox, a leading video technology company that works with some of the largest and best-in-class companies in healthcare, banking, and the education space. This platform is HIPAA-compliant, has a BAA, and offers the most advanced security and technology policies.
The entire SimplePractice platform, including Telehealth, is developed in a secure and compliant manner that meets administrative, technical, and physical control requirements defined to meet HIPAA requirements.
The information security and compliance program is derived from HIPAA, HITRUST, PCI, ISO 27001/2, and NIST CSF frameworks. The SimplePractice application, including the Telehealth feature, is encrypted both at rest and in transit using industry-recognized best practices that go above and beyond compliance requirements.
Finally, SimplePractice has a partnership with The Telebehavioral Health Institute. The Telebehavioral Health Institute holds a high criteria with whom they partner.”
We hope this information helps you feel more confident and secure as we continue to offer video appointments to all of our existing and new clients.
If you have any questions, concerns or would like to schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians please call 540-699-0226 or email info@resiliencecounseling.care
Sincerely,
Karl G. Memmer, LPC