When dealing with delicate information like protected well being data (PHI), your ticketing system should meet the identical excessive safety and privateness requirements that your group upholds.
Even a small compliance misstep — whether or not it’s an unencrypted laptop computer falling into the incorrect fingers or utilizing a cloud service with out a correct enterprise affiliate settlement (BAA) — can result in thousands and thousands in fines and extreme enterprise penalties.
That’s why choosing the proper HIPAA-compliant ticketing system is a cross-functional problem involving safety, privateness, and compliance issues at each stage of the method. You want an answer that meets your group’s wants whereas additionally offering the mandatory safeguards to maintain your sufferers’ information safe.
That will help you make the best alternative, let’s break down what assist desk HIPAA compliance means and check out eight of the most effective HIPAA-compliant ticketing methods accessible.
What’s HIPAA?
HIPAA stands for the U.S. Well being Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which, amongst different rights and protections, requires the confidential dealing with of PHI, or protected well being data. (Digital protected well being data is usually abbreviated ePHI.)
The act’s major targets are twofold:
To empower people with enhanced entry to their medical data and higher autonomy over how their personally identifiable well being information is utilized and shared.
To determine a nationwide normal for shielding delicate affected person well being data.
HIPAA privateness laws mandate that healthcare suppliers, organizations, and their enterprise associates adhere to rigorous procedures to make sure the confidentiality and safety of PHI throughout its switch, reception, dealing with, or sharing.
What’s a HIPAA-compliant ticketing system?
A HIPAA-compliant ticketing system is a assist platform designed to securely handle patient-related inquiries and information in accordance with the Well being Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act. It ensures protected well being data (PHI) is encrypted, access-controlled, and auditable to take care of affected person privateness.
Options to search for in a HIPAA-compliant ticketing system
To assist scale back your threat of HIPAA violations, HIPAA-compliant ticketing methods supply safety features like particular person person profiles with roles and permissions, in addition to plans with IP restrictions for added safety. Different options it is best to search for embrace:
Sturdy information safety: Digital information have to be encrypted, and any internet hosting providers utilized by your assist desk supplier should additionally present a excessive stage of bodily safety.
Dependable uptime: Sufferers will need to have dependable entry to their ePHI, which means you must be certain that any supplier you select is reliable.
Knowledge location: Knowledge have to be saved within the U.S. to be HIPAA compliant.
Entry restrictions: Communication platforms ought to supply methods to guard entry to PHI, reminiscent of 2FA, IP restrictions, SSL certificates, and so on.
Enterprise affiliate agreements (BAAs): The assistance desk you select must be keen to signal a BAA along with your firm.
Understand that following the rules above doesn’t in and of itself make your group or your assist desk resolution HIPAA compliant. At all times seek the advice of with an skilled when organising new methods on your group.
The 8 finest HIPAA-compliant ticketing methods
In case your healthcare group is searching for a brand new HIPAA-compliant assist desk — whether or not that’s implementing a brand new device in your tech stack for the primary time or changing your present system as a result of it not meets your wants — listed below are eight HIPAA-compliant ticketing methods to think about.
1. Assist Scout – Finest HIPAA-compliant assist desk
Assist Scout is an effective match for entities that wish to centralize their shopper and affected person assist in a HIPAA-compliant manner — as a result of along with superior safety and privateness requirements, it’s greater than only a ticketing system.
Assist Scout is customer support software program that permits you to join along with your sufferers through e mail, stay chat, and in-app messaging. All the sufferers’ incoming messages are routed right into a unified shared inbox, making it simple on your group to work collectively to reply to affected person and shopper wants.
Key options
Assist Scout’s shared inbox is filled with collaborative options like:
Dialog assignments to route tickets to the best rep.
Inner notes and the power to tag teammates once you want further assist on a request.
Collision detection for stopping duplicate replies.
Assist Scout additionally comes with productiveness options like saved replies that will help you reply to widespread questions extra shortly and workflows to assist automate repetitive duties. Tags and customized fields may help maintain your inbox organized and can be used to create customized report views and workflows.
Assist Scout additionally has AI options that may assist prevent time and improve the affected person expertise:
AI Summarize can create a bulleted abstract of lengthy e mail threads with one click on.
AI Help may help you polish copy earlier than hitting ship. Use it to test for spelling and grammar errors, alter the tone or size of a message, and even translate your reply into one other language.
AI Drafts allow brokers to craft high quality replies in seconds by producing fast drafts based mostly on prior conversations and your assist middle articles.
AI Solutions is a great search assistant that permits your sufferers to get on the spot responses to widespread questions.
HIPAA compliance in Assist Scout
A word about HIPAA compliance in Assist Scout:
Whereas most of Assist Scout’s options may be configured to be HIPAA compliant, integrations between Assist Scout and different platforms could not meet HIPAA requirements. As well as, Assist Scout’s data base resolution, Docs, will not be thought-about to be compliant.
In relation to dealing with ePHI, Assist Scout helps its clients stay HIPAA compliant over widespread channels like e mail, stay chat, and in-app messaging in quite a few methods:
Enterprise affiliate agreements (BAAs): Assist Scout’s enterprise affiliate settlement (BAA) is posted on-line, and we’ll signal one upon request.
Knowledge storage location: Assist Scout is hosted on Amazon Net Providers (AWS), a scalable, cloud-based computing platform with end-to-end safety and built-in privateness options. AWS is HIPAA compliant, enabling lined entities topic to HIPAA to make use of their safe surroundings to course of, preserve, and retailer protected well being data. For extra detailed data, see the whitepaper Architecting for HIPAA Safety and Compliance on Amazon Net Providers.
Uptime and information availability: We try for a 99.99% uptime throughout all of our merchandise.
Consumer authentication: Assist Scout helps two-factor authentication (2FA) entry for Assist Scout credentials or SSO by means of Google Apps. Sure plans have choices for enabling authentication through any SAML-compatible identification supplier.
IP restrictions: Limiting entry to your Assist Scout account to a predefined record of IP addresses is on the market with some plans.
Knowledge safety: Assist Scout’s inside software communications (together with notes, API calls, and stay chat conversations) are encrypted over 256-bit SSL (safe sockets layer).
Content material management: By means of a thread choices menu, you may edit, delete, or disguise thread contents. This prevents that data from being despatched out once more or from being quoted in a future reply. That is useful if there are a number of events concerned in a single dialog.
Audits: Assist Scout completes common audits and annual threat assessments to make sure continued HIPAA compliance. This consists of updating, reviewing, and testing our catastrophe restoration plan.
Worker coaching: All Assist Scout staff bear annual HIPAA coaching. Our group by no means accesses buyer accounts except we’re explicitly requested for assist. As well as, clients may also request that we by no means entry their account for any cause.
Be taught extra about Assist Scout:
2. Giva – Finest for enterprise organizations with strict SLAs
Giva is a cloud-based IT assist desk designed for healthcare and different extremely regulated industries that want a safe, HIPAA-compliant resolution. It gives a ticketing system, a data base, sturdy reporting, a self-service portal, person satisfaction surveys, and a cellular app.
In contrast to different enterprise ticketing platforms — reminiscent of ServiceNow — that may be complicated and require intensive coaching, Giva is comparatively simple to make use of. Deployment takes only a few days, and brokers can sometimes rise up to hurry in about an hour.
Key options
Emails robotically convert into tickets, and auto-routing ensures they’re assigned to the best particular person — decreasing handbook effort and dashing up response instances.
Giva helps groups keep on prime of strict SLAs with computerized escalations to enhance response instances and person satisfaction.
Lately launched AI Copilot pulls from the data base to assist brokers draft replies, summarize tickets, extract key particulars, and analyze buyer sentiment for faster situation decision.
Brokers may also schedule duties whereas engaged on a ticket and arrange macros for constant, time-saving responses — bettering the affected person expertise with immediate, standardized communication.
HIPAA compliance in Giva
BAAs to make sure compliance.
Knowledge encryption in transit and at relaxation utilizing HIPAA-compliant storage.
Steady backups and restoration plans to stop information loss.
Actual-time entry monitoring to reinforce safety.
Moreover, Giva supplies 24/7, U.S.-based technical assist, and customers regularly reward its quick bug fixes and common platform enhancements.
3. OneDesk – Finest for ticketing and venture administration
OneDesk combines affected person assist and venture administration right into a single platform, making it an ideal alternative for cross-functional groups. With extremely customizable options, it permits you to deal with affected person inquiries, workers requests, and administrative duties — all whereas managing tasks and duties inside the similar system.
Key options
OneDesk supplies a number of communication channels, together with:
E-mail, webforms, and stay chat so you may assist sufferers through their most popular channel.
A shopper portal permitting sufferers to log in to trace their inquiries and look at updates in a single place.
A data base to advertise self-service and supply sufferers fast solutions to scale back the necessity for direct assist.
Nonetheless, what units OneDesk aside is its built-in venture administration capabilities. In contrast to conventional assist desk instruments, OneDesk permits groups to additionally:
Plan tasks, assign duties, and observe prices and schedules.
Collaborate on duties with safe inside discussions linked on to venture particulars.
View and handle each tickets and duties in a single interface utilizing Gantt charts, Kanban boards, lists, or calendar views.
HIPAA compliance in OneDesk
Consumer-level permissions for managed entry and exercise audit logs to trace actions.
Frequent backups to stop information loss and information encryption (in transit and at relaxation) with information hosted on AWS’s HIPAA-compliant cloud infrastructure. You may as well select on-premise internet hosting.
Two-factor authentication for enhanced safety.
4. Luma Well being – Finest for international healthcare organizations
Luma Well being is designed to streamline the affected person journey whereas optimizing operational effectivity for established healthcare organizations. The platform excels in bi-directional EHR integrations, AI-powered automation, and patient-centric options reminiscent of appointment reminders, automated consumption varieties, and pre-visit checklists.
Key options
Assist sufferers throughout a number of channels together with e mail, SMS, and chat — all whereas viewing affected person particulars, scheduled appointments, and progress checklists within the ticket sidebar.
Help worldwide sufferers with AI-powered translation enabling brokers to translate affected person messages and drafts in actual time with out leaving the assistance desk.
Resolve inquiries sooner with Luma’s Navigator AI concierge, which helps auto-resolve tickets and calls by guiding sufferers by means of self-service choices.
In contrast to some healthcare-focused platforms, Luma gives a sturdy ticketing system with inside notes, macros, and shortcuts — identical to a devoted assist desk device.
HIPAA compliance in Luma
Enterprise-grade safety with SOC 2 Sort II, ISO 27001:2022, TX-RAMP Stage 2, and HITRUST CSF certifications.
Sturdy infrastructure deployed in a number of internet hosting places guaranteeing 99.9% uptime and annual enterprise continuity and catastrophe restoration testing.
Zero Belief and Least Privilege safety fashions implementation — staff use Luma Well being-controlled units with multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all entry.
ISO 42001 compliance for AI-enabled merchandise.
5. Medchat – Finest for stay chat automation
Medchat is a HIPAA-compliant ticketing system designed to automate stay chat interactions, enhance the affected person expertise, and equip customer support groups with AI-powered instruments.
Whether or not you’re a small clinic or a big healthcare facility, Medchat helps scale back affected person wait instances, improve engagement, and robotically deflect instances that don’t want human intervention.
Key options
Create chatbots and automate duties utilizing an intuitive visible builder and low-code surroundings for superior automations.
Automate handbook duties and enhance affected person triage, authorizations, and appointment scheduling — to deal with offering glorious affected person care as an alternative.
Entry affected person data instantly inside the assist desk to expedite ticket decision — because of integrations with main EHR and CRM platforms like athenahealth. Medchat claims to combine with just about any device your group makes use of so customized setups can be found relying in your price range.
Monitor key metrics reminiscent of affected person wait instances, widespread matters and questions, chat quantity, common chat period, and agent response instances, serving to you optimize stay chat efficiency. The platform places a powerful emphasis on analytics.
HIPAA compliance in Medchat
Medchat maintains HIPAA compliance, has SOC 2 Sort II certification, and undergoes rigorous impartial third-party safety testing to make sure the best requirements of knowledge safety.
6. Klara – Finest for groups centered on automation
Klara helps medical practices enhance operations and affected person communication. Its assist desk helps a number of channels, together with voice, net chat, and textual content messaging.
You may create shared inboxes and use @mentions for higher group collaboration in addition to talk instantly with third-party healthcare suppliers and pharmacies to hurry up processes like pre-appointment authorizations.
Key options
Ship customized appointment reminders, pre- and post-visit directions, and follow-ups.
Routinely route affected person messages to the best workers members.
Encourage no-shows to reschedule with a fast SMS.
HIPAA compliance in Klara
All information is encrypted at relaxation and in transit.
They supply safe internet hosting with a BAA in place.
Entry to person information is proscribed to technicians educated in HIPAA compliance.
Customers are robotically logged out after half-hour of inactivity for added safety.
Klara’s clients sometimes respect automation capabilities however word poor EHR integrations and excessive pricing.
7. Hiver – Finest for small groups utilizing Gmail
Hiver is a straightforward, easy-to-use customer support device that integrates instantly into Gmail. It centralizes emails, voice tickets, and chats inside the Gmail interface, which permit groups to handle affected person requests in a well-known surroundings.
Hiver additionally permits you to robotically assign and evenly distribute tickets based mostly on group availability and abilities in addition to set project limits to stop group members from being overloaded.
You may entry analytics, handle templates for chat and e mail responses, and arrange automations — all with out leaving Gmail. Brokers can view affected person particulars instantly inside emails, eliminating the necessity to swap tabs.
Key options
The app comes with sturdy automation options to scale back handbook duties. For instance, you may:
HIPAA compliance in Hiver
Robust encryption for safe e mail collaboration.
BAAs guaranteeing shared duty for HIPAA compliance.
Audit trails enabling you to trace group exercise with complete logs for transparency and accountability.
Hiver’s group gives 24/7 assist, which is good for international groups. In case you’re on the HIPAA-compliant plan, you additionally get entry to so-called “customized construct hours” that you need to use for constructing customized API integrations.
8. OhMD – Finest for SMS and stay chat assist
OhMD is a affected person communication platform designed to simplify interactions between medical practices and their sufferers.
From stay chat to appointment scheduling and prescription refills, OhMD automates routine duties, permitting your customer support group to deal with extra significant interactions. With integrations throughout 80+ EHR platforms, it’s a versatile resolution for practices of all sizes, from small clinics to massive hospitals.
In case your group is usually counting on stay chat and SMS channels, OhMD could be a nice alternative.
Key options
Safe stay web site chat and HIPAA-compliant SMS texting.
Automated workflows for appointment scheduling, car parking zone check-ins, referrals, prescription refills, and extra.
Bidirectional EHR integrations that allow your group to view affected person information and appointments whereas managing tickets and to ship patient-provided data on to the EHR with out leaving the assistance desk.
HIPAA compliance in OhMD
Computerized BAAs and end-to-end encryption for information at relaxation and in transit (for net service callouts; for SMS interactions, organizations are required to acquire documented affected person consent).
HIPAA-trained workers and entry audits.
No information saved instantly on any gadget, with centralized account deactivation.
Maintaining the human contact
The unlucky aspect impact of many ticketing methods is that the shopper expertise suffers. Sufferers encounter obstacles as an alternative of frictionless communication — like having to log right into a portal simply to ask a query and having their “ticket” being processed shoved of their face.
However the most effective ticketing system is the one your clients barely discover.
There’s one thing inherently private a couple of plain textual content e mail or easy-to-access stay chat messaging. They really feel acquainted, like a message from a pal, colleague, or member of the family. When sufferers obtain a message that appears identical to another, there’s no pointless friction — only a pure, human dialog.
In fact, defending affected person information and medical data is important, however safety shouldn’t come on the expense of treating individuals like individuals. To that finish, healthcare organizations and Assist Scout share the identical purpose: serving to individuals.
Discuss to our pleasant group to see if Assist Scout is perhaps the best HIPAA-compliant ticketing system for you.
