Protect your privacy while using telehealth
Whether you seek medical care in person or virtually, your health care team takes measures to protect your personal health information, such as logging out of your chart after updating information. In addition, there are things you can do to ensure your virtual visits are private and secure whether you’re at home or on the go.
“Ideally the best way to maintain telehealth privacy and security is to do video visits in a place that’s private and free from distractions, like a room with a door you can close,” says Dr. Edmund Fernandez, the medical director of virtual health for Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care.
At home, that could mean doing a visit in your bedroom and waiting until the kids go to bed so you won’t have any distractions while chatting with the online provider about your symptoms. If you’re at work, you can see if there’s an office or conference room available.
“Being in a room by yourself helps keep your information confidential. However, if you give permission to have someone like a family member come with you to your in-person medical appointments, it should be fine if they sit in on your video visit,” Dr. Fernandez says.
When doing a video visit in a public setting, like a library, using headphones can help block out background noise. People won’t be able to hear the provider’s side of the conversation, however, they will still hear your response to questions the provider asks about your health.
“If you must do a virtual visit in a public setting, an e-visit could be an alternative to keep your information private,” says Dr. Fernandez.
Before beginning a video visit or e-visit, here are some steps you can take to protect your personal information:
- Make sure you have a strong internet connection to help minimize poor video or audio quality.
- Only enter your personal information if there’s a lock icon in the website address bar.
- Protect your devices with antivirus software.
- Use your own devices, not your work or public computers.
Receive care where it’s convenient for you. Schedule a telehealth video visit in Illinois or Wisconsin.
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About the Author
Vicki Martinka Petersen, health enews contributor, is a digital copywriter on the content team at Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care. A former newspaper reporter, she’s worked in health care communications for the last decade. In her spare time, Vicki enjoys tackling her to be read pile, trying new recipes, meditating, and planning fun activities to do in the Chicago area with her husband and son.
