HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) imposes rigorous obligations on the use and disclosure of “Protected Health Information” (PHI). The Cisco WebEx Telepresence service enables the video, audio, and data transmission of patient information containing PHI; it does not engage in any “use” or “disclosure” of PHI, as HIPAA defines those terms. WebEx Telepresence acts as a “conduit” or the electronic equivalent of a courier service. Thus, it does not require HIPAA compliance.
A healthcare provider that is required to have HIPAA compliance can leverage the WebEx Telepresence service, knowing:
- A WebEx Telepresence video or audio call, and any data transmitted, does not constitute a medical record.
- The participants in a WebEx Telepresence call, with whom patient information may be shared, are determined by the called or calling parties, or the meeting host.
- WebEx Telepresence supports media encryption (AES 128) for transmissions.
- WebEx Telepresence does not store transmissions on servers in the WebEx cloud.
- WebEx Telepresence personnel do not view or access transmissions.
WebEx Telepresence supports a range of best-in-class Cisco TelePresence systems, including the VX Clinical Assistant, which may be of interest to healthcare providers. For more information on this and other devices, please visit http://www.cisco.com/web/telepresence/webex-telepresence-smb/products.html.
For more information on other Cisco solutions for healthcare providers, including TelePresence for Healthcare, HealthPresence, and WebEx for Healthcare, please visit http://www.cisco.com/web/strategy/healthcare/index.html.
