![]() ![]() In other words, by using AES-style encryption, Skype meets an important part of the federal government’s standard for encryption, but not all of it. AES is part of the FIPS 140 standard, but is not the whole of it. A different FIPS standard, cleverly named FIPS 140, is a set of guidelines defining how software that provides encryption should go about making security happen. In order to evaluate whether Skype is HIPAA compliant or not, one must look at three issues: Encryption, Business Associate, and HITECH Act of 2011.Įncryption: When it comes to HIPAA compliance, Skype utilizes the AES encryption, which is one of the federal government’s Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Skype and HIPAA Compliance: Encryption, Business Associate, HITECH More specifically to Skype, in addition to the above-mentioned concerns, clinicians must evaluate whether they can use Skype and be HIPAA Compliant, and they must attend to the concerns of dropped calls and the interruption of service. Prior to using Skype in TeleMental Health, clinicians must analyze these considerations as they apply to Skype. These issues include confidentiality and privacy, monitoring access, crossing state lines, informed consent, competence and scope of practice, and record keeping. ![]() General Considerations with Utilization of Skype in TeleMental HealthĪs with any technology, there are a number of concerns that have been associated with the use of IAVT in Telehealth and TeleMental Health. Dropped calls and other potential interruption of communication.Then the concerns about using Skype in TeleMental Health (to be described below) primarily focus on: In summary, the appeals of using Skype in TeleMental Health, E-Counseling, or E-Therapy are: Therapists often encounter resistance from clients to sign up to new email services so they can talk to their psychotherapists. This fact is highly important as has been shown with use of emails in therapy. Additionally, Skype™ also offers a business version for a monthly fee, which allows for audio-visual conference calls.īesides the ease of use and the fact that it is free, one of the main appeals of Skype is the fact that clients are familiar with it and many of them already use it and like it. The download is free but must be downloaded and installed to the computers of all individuals who want to communicate using it. Skype offers audio and video communication to those with the needed computer hardware (a video camera and microphone) and who download the needed software to their computer from the Skype website. It provides users the opportunity to communicate on their computers or similar devices, such as smartphones and iPads, with ease and for free. It is a form of IAVT, which is free (when used between devices which have access to the Internet) and readily available. Skype is one of the most popular software service on the Web. As is obvious from its popularity, Skype™ and other similar technologies (see, for example, or ) offer great convenience in communicating with others across distances.Ī general article on videoconferencing, IAVT, and TeleMental Health Video conferencing, or what is often called Interactive Audio-Visual Technology (IAVT), is one of the most popular forms of communication in the 21 st century. You can also find an extensive comprehensive list of options with side-by-side comparisons at. Check with, , and other video-conferencing companies to see if they provide a BAA for free and, if not, what the cost would be for a BAA. Most experts agree that if a video conferencing company does not offer a BAA, it is not in compliance with HIPAA. As of January 2016, Skype does not provide a BAA. While Skype is popular, familial, free, and is encrypted, the bottom line is – it is not HIPAA compliant and does not notify clinicians when breaches occur. ![]()
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