Text messaging is a powerful communication tool for public health purposes, particularly because of the potential to customize messages to meet individuals’ needs. However, using text messaging to send personal health information requires analysis of laws addressing the protection of electronic health information.

Text messaging to send health information can be implemented in a public health setting through 2 possible approaches: restructuring text messages to remove personal health information and retaining limited personal health information in the message but conducting a risk analysis and satisfying other requirements to meet the HIPAA Security Rule. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 14, 2013: e1-e7. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300999)

Read More: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300999