Email Explained:

[Kraig]

For setup and use instructions of Email and Direct Mail, please see: crystalpm.com/training/email%20setup.pdf

Please let me know if I've missed anything.

1. Recalls

  • Recalls are sent via the Recall Report.
  • Configure Crystal to email Recalls by setting up email under Admin – Email – Email Settings (non-Direct)
      i. The easiest email client to use is Gmail. However, you will usually have to adjust security settings in Gmail to allow 3rd party applications to
        send email. This method changes frequently, so instructions are not available here. **EDIT** as of 8/20/15, the link to edit your Gmail
        settings is:  www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps
      ii. You CANNOT use a free Yahoo! email address, as they do not support email client use.
      iii. You may need to contact whomever hosts your email to get the correct SMTP settings.

2. Medical Records, Prescriptions and Invoices

  • Emailing medical records and prescriptions (any medical information) is strictly prohibited by HIPAA.
  • The Patient Portal must be used to give the patient access to these documents. For instructions on configuring and using the Patient Portal,
     please see our instructional video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcva8_pbj-o
  • The CrystalPM Printer will assist here, especially with Prescriptions. Please see the video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gDRyIzEnZA
 
3. Schedule Reminders, Marketing Materials and other documents

  • This method requires you have the Microsoft Outlook email client installed and configured on the computer you are sending from.
  • These require setting up a word merge document in Microsoft Word. For an instruction video on creating Word templates, please
     see: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1RcHnOvURg
  • You will use this method anywhere you see an Email with Office button.
  • Schedule Reminders – you will find the Email with Office buttons on the Schedule tab as well as when running a Schedule Report
  • Marketing Materials – typically done through the Correspondence Report – you will find an Email with Office button here as well.
  • To send a mass email, cloud offices can run a correspondence report, after generating the report you can click copy email and paste the email addresses into the BCC line of your email. (keep in mind, your email client may limit the number of emails you can send at one time. It may be easier to paste the emails into Notepad or word and do the mass email in phases.)

4. Secure (encrypted) Email to other Doctors

  • Can send patients' CCR or other attachments
  • $240/year charge – please contact [e-mail] to arrange payment
  • Easily configured under Admin – Email – Direct Mail, after payment is made
  • Receiving office must also have a secure email client
  • Configuration and use instructions can be found here: crystalpm.com/stage_2/direct%20mail.pdf
 

[canyonvieweyes]

Hi Kraig,
I have signed up with MS Exchange for a HIPAA compliant email that I have used for several years now. It would be nice if we could use that email in the direct email option in Crystal to send email and CCR to other providers for referrals as well as to patients for secure communications. I know my half of the email is secure, I can't guarantee the other person's is secure. But I understand that that is all I need to worry about to be HIPAA compliant. Is this wrong? Thanks.

[Kraig]

I am not sure about HIPAA, but in order to use the DirectMail feature, both the sender and receiver must use an encrypted email service.

If the recipient does not have an encrypted email service, I would make sure that you have documentation on record that the user has acknowledged they are aware of the risks and waiving you of liability. For this reason, we do not offer a feature like what you are asking.

For a good read on sending HIPAA compliant emails, I would recommend reading: blog.securitymetrics.com/2014/05/hipaa-email-encryption.html. It is very informative.