Privacy, Marketing & Consumer Engagement

I've always had concerns about integrating customer relationship management (CRM) software with electronic health record (EHR) systems. Organizations providing "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant CRMs" speak to using the tool for building long-term relationships with consumers and improving consumer engagement. I get that.

But what are the 'boundaries' of using personal health information in marketing? "HIPAA compliant" may not provide the protections that most consumers assume or expect. In general, HIPAA requires patient authorization before a covered entity can use patient health information for marketing purposes. How that happens is another story. Buried in the . . .