How Will Telehealth Change After the Pandemic?

Following previous incremental advancements in telehealth, the COVID-19 pandemic thrust the technology to center stage during a public health emergency. 

With more people shifting to remote care and a simultaneous spike in cybercrime, regulators are poised to strengthen protections for personal information. Expect data privacy and security laws to return to normal following the pandemic and prepare for potentially more stringent privacy laws to follow.

With that in mind, providers should:

• Evaluate security controls of telehealth technologies and vendor HIPAA compliance.
• Consider interoperability of platforms and connected devices with electronic health record systems.
• Enter into or amend business associate agreements with vendors who have access to protected health information and ensure protections for breaches and security incidents — including strong indemnification, reporting obligations, and cyber liability coverage.
• Conduct a comprehensive security risk assessment of IT systems.