{"id":41701,"date":"2024-03-26T13:23:30","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T17:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/answerstat.com\/?p=41701"},"modified":"2024-03-26T13:23:33","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T17:23:33","slug":"secure-messaging-hipaa-compliance-case-study-jackson-madison-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/answerstat.com\/news\/secure-messaging-hipaa-compliance-case-study-jackson-madison-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"Jackson-Madison County General Hospital Case Study: Utilizing Secure Messaging for Efficient HIPAA-Compliant Communications"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Nicole Limpert<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackson-Madison County General Hospital is in Jackson, Tennessee, and is part of the West Tennessee Healthcare System. The 123-bed hospital opened on August 11, 1950, with 166 employees. The system now employs more than 7,000 people and serves 500,000 area residents throughout 19 counties in West Tennessee and Southeast Missouri. It is one of the top 10 largest public, not-for-profit healthcare systems in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selecting a Secure Messaging Solution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pager-like systems have been used since the 1960s, quickly becoming the industry standard for sending messages. Over the last few decades, the way hospitals communicate sensitive information has evolved, and their technology needs have changed to secure Protected Health Information (PHI) following HIPAA rules. In light of this, hospitals are now searching for secure communication systems that are also more robust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needing an easy-to-use pager replacement system that would adapt to their unique needs, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital began to search for a solution that was also HIPAA compliant. \u201cBeing in compliance is always a priority for our organization,\u201d said Beth Wells, Executive Director of Patient Access and Information at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After evaluating and reviewing many products with clinical and IS staff members, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital decided to select a secure messaging solution that was natively designed to work with their call center software. \u201cWhat we saw was the ease of use,\u201d commented Beth. \u201cThat was a very positive thing, and also the functionality that we thought we could utilize as a basis and grow on. We liked what we saw.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Jackson-Madison County General Hospital Uses Secure Messaging<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The administrative staff, physicians, nurses, clinical staff, case managers, social workers, and physical therapy staff at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital transitioned from pagers to using a secure messaging app. Many uses personal devices, freeing employees from having to carry multiple phones or a phone plus a bulky pager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their secure messaging app can be used with iPhone\u00ae, iPad\u00ae, Apple Watch\u00ae and Android\u00ae mobile devices, desktops, and tablets. Users can send and receive secure encrypted text messages, photos, videos, and audio files. Jackson-Madison County General Hospital uses the app to send messages from clinical users to physicians, nurses to physicians, and physician-to-physician communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since many staff communicate using their personal devices, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital provides both Android and Apple apps for their staff. Mobile users can send and receive messages using the hospital\u2019s Wi-Fi network while at the hospital or their cellular data, enabling them to access their secure messaging Inbox from virtually anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital also uses desktop access. \u201cAll of our nursing staff use the secure messaging app on the secure desktop log-in,\u201d according to Beth. Nurses can communicate with any app user, quickly sending and receiving encrypted messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple, Streamlined, Secure Communications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like every hospital, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital has diverse communication needs. The app speeds communication by allowing users to quickly select recipients \u2013 by choosing one person, members of a single department, or an entire group of members from a particular practice. They can send a complete, pre-populated reply with just a couple of taps, allowing users to acknowledge receipt of messages and even provide simple instructions while on the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many different departments and tasks within a healthcare setting. A comprehensive and secure messaging app can improve workflow processes related to patient admissions, lab results, patient transport, care team communication, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each employee\u2019s secure messages are stored separately from standard text messages and e-mails, allowing a nurse or physician to efficiently find, send, and respond to important messages without sifting through dozens of other lower-priority messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting Patient Safety Needs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With patient safety in mind, Beth acknowledged how pleased she has been with the changes she\u2019s seen relating to nurse-to-physician and physician-to-physician communication. \u201cFrom a patient safety standpoint,\u201d said Beth, \u201cThe secure messaging app has been a very positive change. It plugs a hole in a common communication gap because you have documentation that they did indeed receive your message.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthcare is mobile, and message security is paramount for texts that include electronic patient health information (ePHI). A secure mobile messaging app helps to keep a healthcare organization compliant when sharing information on mobile devices. Benefits include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n