When it comes to sharing health information, it is crucial to adhere to the highest standards of privacy and security. This is why we strongly advise against sharing personal health information (PHI) via pagers or SMS.
Here's why using pagers or SMS is discouraged for several reasons:
- Not encrypted: Messages sent via pagers or SMS usually lack end-to-end encryption, making it hard to control that the recipient is the intended person.
- Lack of controls: Access controls and audit logs, crucial for ensuring that any PHI sent is only accessible to the intended recipient, are rarely in place.
- Third-Party Risks: There is no guarantee that SMS or paging service providers have the necessary compliant protections in place to ensure the safety of PHI.
For these reasons, sending identifying patient information through pagers or SMS is not considered in compliance with healthcare privacy laws in many jurisdictions. We recommend using Hypercare messaging, which is designed to comply with industry security regulations, to share PHI. This ensures the utmost safety and security of patients' personal details.