HIPAA Compliant Telehealth Platforms
Obviously, you can see that there are lots of options to choose from when it comes to telehealth and healthcare video conferencing services. It is important to choose a platform that directly fits your practice or organization’s tailored needs. But above these feature-specific preferences, if these services will have access to PHI or ePHI in any capacity, then you need to work with a HIPAA-compliant provider. That is exactly why we created this roundup of dedicated telehealth platforms, all of whom have taken the steps to ensure HIPAA compliance. Even if they have done their due diligence, be sure to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with that group as is required by HIPAA but also protects your company from liability in the event of a breach on their behalf.
Chiron Health
Chiron Health is a HIPAA-compliant and cloud-based telemedicine service platform. It is an integrated service that includes workflow management, video calling, and integrated appointment calendars with automatic appointment reminders.
This platform is equipped with a virtual waiting room where patients can digitally check in and have a dedicated place to wait until their appointment begins, just as you would see with an in-person appointment. Chiron Health is offered in a few different plan options and can also be integrated with many practice management and electronic health record programs that you may already be using.
Doxy.me
Doxy is definitely one of the most popular HIPAA-compliant telehealth or video conferencing tools. They are known to be trustworthy and can boast in their HIPAA, GDPR, PHIPA/PIPEDA, and HITECH compliance. One of the advantages to Doxy.me is that patients don’t need to make an account or download any specific software in order to attend their telehealth appointment on any iOS or Android device.
Doxy is also known for its waiting room feature which allows patients to “check-in” virtually which will notify the doctor of their arrival and then wait until the healthcare provider is ready to see them, just as occurs in person. While individuals are in the waiting room, they are able to see any images, videos, or reading material that has been provided to them by the doctor. All of these features and more are included in the free version of Doxy.me. Although they do offer two paid plans that come complete with even more features including simultaneous calls, text and email notifications, room passcodes, screen sharing, file transferring, and on-demand chat support. For more information, visit Doxy.me today!
eVisit
eVisit is a platform that seeks to take the complication out of having to integrate multiple different telehealth software solutions in order to provide a complete solution. In order to solve this problem, they have created a product that combines scheduling, patient intake, a waiting room leading up to appointment time, the actual telehealth visits, ePrescribe and payment collection, post-discharge check-ins, and analytics reports from the entire cycle into one product.
eVisit is a very customizable workflow solution that can be configured in over 150 different ways so that it can directly mirror your current method of operation. With their platform utilizing a double-encrypted patient information database and other steps, you can feel confident in eVisit’s security and HIPAA compliance. If you are looking for a single solution to address all aspects of patient care in the most efficient way possible, then eVisit may be the best solution for you.
Healthie
Healthie is a dual-threat solution for telehealth that contains software for practice management and a telehealth streaming platform. This software was specifically designed for nutrition and wellness professionals within the healthcare industry to assist them in providing remote care, building client relationships, and managing the day-to-day aspects of their business. Healthie can be accessed from any device from a computer, phone, or tablet to provide a high degree of convenience for your patients.
As this product is specifically tailored towards nutrition and wellness practices, it is equipped with programs to feature where organizations can send or sell fitness and nutrition courses through the app, plus Healthie can be integrated with FitBit or AppleWatch software in order to track exercise or health statistics. Additionally, this platform offers intake forms that can be sent to patients with them being able to sign any necessary documents digitally. If you are a provider that works in one of these particular industries, start with a free trial of Healthie today!
Medici
Another great telehealth resource, Medici, is a HIPAA compliant mobile app that provides both telehealth video conferencing and secure messaging for the practice. Healthcare providers are able to import contact information from their EHR software directly into the Medici app. They are also able to add other doctors or providers to a case using Colleague Connect if a second opinion or advice is needed.
One unique and desirable feature of Medici is that the messaging aspect of the platform is able to be translated directly from over 30 different languages. In addition to the translation, patients are also able to access care through any web browser via personalized meeting links so that they do not need to download any certain app or complete any form of registration. These features of Medici contribute to its overall goal - to evolve the relationship between a doctor and their patients through easier access, direct messaging, and telehealth without a lot of overhead.
SimplePractice
Another great platform is SimplePractice which goes beyond just telemedicine to offer both healthcare video conferencing and a wide array of patient management tools. One thing that sets SimplePractice apart is that they offer insurance processing which includes creating, submitting, tracking, and reconciling insurance claims on behalf of your patients. This integrated solution helps practices operate efficiently as all of their processes are consolidated into one key place.
With their digital documentation, billing, patient communication, and scheduling capabilities, SimplePractice is one of the only options that have the ability to help your practice work entirely virtually which reduces the risk of a data breach. If you are interested in SimplePractice, you can begin a 30-day free trial today without giving over your credit card information, try that out here!
thera-LINK
thera-LINK is a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform for your practice that is intended specifically for mental and behavioral health professionals. The key feature that thera-LINK is known for is their Directory tool which allows individuals to search for a counselor, therapist, or another similar provider within the thera-LINK database to fit their needs. As a top-tier telehealth provider, thera-LINK provides encrypted one-on-one and group meetings, being one of the only options that allow unlimited users per call, which in their specific industry can be used for group therapy or support groups.
thera-LINK comes equipped with robust waiting room features including the ability to have a background image and music options to greet patients before their appointment begins. While in an appointment, the host can take session notes, share files in a secure manner, utilize in-session chats, and allow patients to self-schedule appointments. If you are looking to test out thera-LINK as a potential solution for you, they offer a 3-day free trial of their software.
Theraplatform
Theraplatform is a HIPAA-compliant practice management software solution for therapists. It contains built-in teletherapy, a library of interactive therapy apps, billing automation, therapy notes, reporting and more. It is easy-to-use and allows users to make their practices 100% paperless.
Users of the software report more engagement with clients, faster payment processing, the ability to scale their practice and allows them to expand their customer base from local to anywhere with an internet connection! There is a 30-day trial available and after that there are three membership tiers, for everything from a single user who requires basic video conferencing and billing to a provider requiring advanced video, interactive apps, insurance and more.
Theranest
Theranest is an EHR software that has telehealth capabilities as an add-on and is like the platform above, is specifically tailored to providers in the therapy, psychology, social work, or counseling industries. The many tools within the platform allow for providers to submit prescriptions, bill insurance directly, store client profiles, schedule appointments, and host telehealth meetings with up to six individuals.
Another benefit to Theranest is the ease of use for clients as they can join a personalized appointment link with no requirement to enter a password or download certain software beforehand. Once inside the appointment, providers are able to take detailed therapy notes, control audio, and video, and screen or file sharing. Theranest offers a 21-day, no credit card required free trial so that you can determine if this is the best EHR and telehealth software for your mental health practice.
Vsee
VSee is a top-tier, HIPAA compliant telehealth platform for your practice that seeks to provide all the tools necessary for healthcare providers to the highest level of virtual care for their patients. The platform allows for video appointments, virtual medical exams, patient monitoring, and more. VSee is currently used by all different types of healthcare organizations ranging from McKesson to DaVita, and companies of all sizes ranging from individual providers to enterprise-level corporations.
Within this platform specifically, providers are able to host video communication appointments and integrate with certain medical devices like a Fitbit or AppleWatch to receive data automatically for patient monitoring. Patients are also able to upload photographs, food diary entries, or charts so that their providers can monitor their adherence to a prescribed wellness plan.
During a standard video conference call, providers can utilize the waiting room feature to mimic a traditional in-person check-in process with a company-branded waiting room, intake forms ready to fill out, consent forms to sign virtually, required educational videos to watch, and live chat support access as needed.
VSee is the only platform on the market that allows patients to use their existing computer system to stream images to their providers while still staying face-to-face on the call. Plus, VSee’s providers can actually control a Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera on the patient’s end in order to conduct a remote exam. This raises the standards for what type of healthcare can be provided via telehealth appointments. In addition to this, there are many other tools available for use by providers whether that is via integrated credit card payments, automatic appointment reminders, shared lab results or EHR records, and more.
VtConnect
VTConnect is another great option for a HIPAA-compliant telehealth solution that allows providers to connect with their patients from any location, on any device, at any time. Since this flexibility is one of the greatest advantages to providing telehealth services in the first place, it is great to work with a platform that enhances and works alongside these existing benefits. VTConnect provides video conferencing appointments for individuals and group sessions, plus a comprehensive portal where providers can store patient information and conduct virtual discussions.
As a secure HIPAA-compliant solution, VTConnect offers end-to-end encryption with password protection that ensures the safety of PHI within their system. Even with live chat messaging, file sharing, and data storage within video conferencing, VTConnect’s private meeting process continues to comply with HIPAA. In addition to being secure and private, this software is still user-friendly and easily accessible to all patients. VTConnect also offers an online therapy solution at www.VirtualTherapyConnect.com which allows mental health and counseling providers to create a complete virtual office.
As we mentioned above, telehealth software is not a one size fits all solution. These platforms each provide the essential functionality of video conference appointment hosting in a HIPAA compliant manner. Beyond those two important qualifications, they vary in specifics and other features or integrations which allows each healthcare provider to read through and find a platform that aligns best with their values and needs. If what you really need is a HIPAA compliance software solution rather than a telehealth provider, then look no further than Accountable. We make HIPAA compliance simple, easy, and headache-free. Plus, we always do our best to help you with other aspects of your HIPAA-compliant operations, like choosing the best telehealth software for you!