4 Privacy and Security Precautions for Telemedicine Sessions
Telemedicine has transformed healthcare delivery, but maintaining patient privacy and security during virtual visits requires careful attention to specific protocols. This article outlines four essential precautions that healthcare providers must implement to protect sensitive patient information during remote consultations. Drawing on guidance from cybersecurity and healthcare compliance experts, these practical measures help ensure both regulatory compliance and patient trust.
Standardize Visits to Control Clinician Environment
In my practice, ensuring privacy during telemedicine starts with a clear, repeatable approach
rather than just relying on technology. We use HIPAA-compliant platforms and verify patient
identity at the beginning of every session, but we also set expectations by asking patients to join
from a private location and explaining how their information is protected. This matters because
many patients cite privacy and data-security concerns as a reason to decline virtual visits, over
half of telehealth providers report patients refusing telemedicine due to such worries,
underscoring how critical trust and communication are in virtual care. This consistency helps
patients feel comfortable and confident before the visit even begins.
One precaution I take that's often overlooked is controlling the clinician's environment. I conduct
virtual visits in a dedicated room with notifications silenced, no voice-activated devices nearby,
and only the relevant patient chart open on screen. By treating telemedicine with the same level
of privacy discipline as an in-office visit, we reduce the risk of accidental exposure and maintain
trust, which is essential for effective virtual care.
Use Secure Tools Verify Confidentiality
I protect privacy in telemedicine by using secure, compliant platforms and conducting visits in a quiet, private space where conversations cannot be overheard. At the start of each session, I confirm the patient's identity to ensure the right person is receiving care. I also avoid public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks, use password-protected devices, and never record sessions without explicit patient consent, recognizing that maintaining confidentiality is essential for trust and safe medical care.
Thank you
Dr. Seyed Hassan Fakher MD Preventive Health & Sports Medicine
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassan-fakher-md-322615244/
https://www.invigormedical.com/contributor/dr-seyed-hassan-fakher-md/
Dr.fakher@invigormedical.com
Invigor Medical
Blur Background Book Later by Phone
We blur the background so there is no identifiable data from our office. In addition, we make sure to have the patient call after to schedule their future appointments so that no hacking can take place if we place the order during the televisit.
Enforce Encryption Block Acoustic Leaks
I take a multi-faceted approach to ensuring confidentiality and security for telemedicine appointments. This method is based on using HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platforms with end-to-end encryption. The providers that I partner with only allow access to each telemedicine appointment with a unique encrypted link assigned to the patient. Also, I have a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with each of these providers to protect the security of patient data during transmission. Patient information is housed in a highly secure Electronic Health Record (EHR) that is not stored locally, which greatly reduces the chances of losing this data if hardware is stolen or lost.
Additionally, I employ a security measure that many may not think of: I use a white-noise machine in the hallway outside my office, even if the building is locked and I am the only person inside. Even though I am protecting the information contained in each telemedicine appointment with encryption, the potential for sound to escape my office and reach another office, employee, or patient in the waiting room creates a physical security vulnerability. This type of sound masking acts as a physical barrier to protect against a potential leak of information through the walls, floor, or ceiling of my office, creating a "soundproof" environment for my patients' verbal disclosures during sessions.
