CookChildren's.
Secure Patient Email Communication
Can patients and their
caregivers receive confidential medical information about their child via
Email?
Yes. Cook Children's
Health Care System uses email encryption software called
ZixSecure. This software allows
physicians and their staff to send confidential or
restricted patient information securely
via email. Patients and their caregivers can use the software to send secure
responses.
How does the
email encryption software work?
When a Cook Children's employee sends you a secure email message, it is
stored on the ZixCorp (the company that owns ZixSecure) server.
ZixCorp then sends you a separate email
message containing a link to their website to access the original
message.
You have a Cook Children's Health Care System Secure Email Message from
PtEmailDrRKnapp@cookchildrens.org
Click the link below to view your secure message. If your email program does
not support active links, please copy and
paste the link displayed below into the
"Address" or "Location" field of your browser and press "Enter" or
"GO".
https://cookchildrens-securemail.org/s/s?m=ABD3b°E……..
Please do not reply to this e-mail.
This message was auto-generated by the sender's security system, To reply to
the sender, please go to your secure message by clicking on the link above.
This message will expire on Month, Day,
year @ hour (CDT).
The first time you go to the ZixCorp website to access a
message, you will need to create a
password. This is a free service and you will need to access it when you
want to receive the email. The password has to have those three
characteristics:
-
contain both alpha and numeric
characters,
-
contain both uppercase and lowercase
characters and
-
contain at least one special character
such as: -!@#$%^&
After you create a
password, you only need your email address and password to
review messages. ZixCorp keeps messages
on their website a maximum of sixty (60) days.
If you
wish to keep a message longer than sixty (60) days, you can download it from
the ZixCorp server. However, once saved to
your computer, the message is no
longer protected by ZixSecure. If you reply to a message stored on your
computer (instead of the ZixCorp server), unauthorized individuals
could view the message. Therefore, it is best to reply to all messages
through the ZixCorp website. Using the ZixCorp website to send a response
ensures it will be sent securely.
Cook Children's Health Care System follows strict guidelines for this type
of communication. Before a Cook Children's employee can send you an email
message, you must have an established
Physician / Patient relationship. You must
also sign an Informed Consent to use
email as a method of communication.
Email communication should not be used to expedite urgent
matters and
must never be used for
emergency situations such as chest
pain, shortness of breath, or bleeding during pregnancy. Your physician
determines what areas of healthcare he
or she will discuss via email. You should
discuss your physician's preferences prior
to establishing an email communication
relationship.
Since the ZixCorp server is available via the Internet,
you can access messages on the
ZixCorp website from any computer with Internet access. Please use caution
when accessing the website from public computers (such as those available in
libraries, airport terminals, or hotels)
or from a laptop in a public location. These settings may increase your risk
of disclosure since others may see your screen. Also, use extreme
caution when downloading messages from the ZixCorp website. You should only
download messages on your own computer in a secure location
such as your home.
For more information
regarding ZixSecure, please contact Jody S. Hawkins, information security
officer, at 682-885-4451, or by email at
J-Hawkins@cookchildrens.org.
If you have questions
or concerns about the kind of information you can access and
send by email, please contact your
physician's office.
