Part 1: Electronic Communications in the Healthcare Practice

1. Introduction.
   1. Purpose of this Legal Compliance Office Handbook.
   2. Background.
2. Why electronic commmunication compliance?
3. Use of emails as electronic communication.
   1. Risks when Communicating Personal Information by Email.
      1. Introduction.
      2. Understanding the risks.
      3. How does email get hacked?
      4. Signs That Indicate an Email Hack.
      5. Here’s how to check if your email was hacked.
      6. Things You Should Do If Your Email Was Hacked.
         1. How to check if an email is legit?
         2. Addressing the risks – organisational measures.
         3. Further specific steps to reduce the risk?
      7. Steps when using email:
         1. Before emailing personal information, take the following precautionary steps.
         2. Before agreeing to implement patient-practitioner email communication, take the following steps.
         3. If an email containing personal information is sent to the wrong address or recipient, follow these steps.
         4. If someone asks the practitioner office to email his or her personal information, be sure to follow these steps
   2. Timeliness of responses.
   3. Clarity of communication.
   4. Using a consent form.
   5. Email disclaimers in email.
   6. Legal disclosures required in email.
   7. Sending of patient account Statements by Email.
   8. Safe Disposal of Emails Containing personal and health information.
4. Text messaging.
5. WhatsApp messaging – organisational security measures.
6. Telephone.
7. Securing mobile data processing.
8. Annexures
   1. Annexure A: Using Electronic Communication – Privacy and Security Matrix.
   2. Annexure B: Secure communications in the healthcare practice – Products.
   3. Annexure C: Policy – Acceptable Email Use Policy.
   4. Annexure D: Policy – Acceptable Computer Use Policy
   5. Annexure E: Protection of Personal Information Policy.
   6. Annexure F: Form – Patient Consent to Use Electronic Communications.
   7. Annexure G: Form – Example Email disclaimer clauses.
   8. Annexure H: How a typical email for sending patient information can look?.
   9. Annexure I: Guideline Cybersecurity Practices for Small Organisations

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  • Module 2: Must-Have POPIA compliant document templates – Patient Registration

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