Clinical Communication Policy

1Scope

This Policy applies to clinicians and authorized workforce or network participants communicating about SBA patients or using SBA-provided clinical communication tools. It supplements professional, recordkeeping, privacy, security, and licensure obligations and does not replace them.

2Use Approved Clinical Channels

Protected health information and substantive clinical communications should be sent through communication methods approved by SBA for the applicable purpose. Do not use personal email accounts, personal text messaging, consumer messaging applications, or other unapproved channels for protected health information except when a legally permitted exception applies and the communication is handled consistently with SBA privacy and security requirements. A patient's lawful request for an alternative or unencrypted communication method must be evaluated under HIPAA, applicable state law, and SBA procedures rather than rejected automatically.

3Minimum Necessary and Correct Recipient

Before sending information, confirm the patient, recipient, and purpose. Limit non-treatment disclosures to the minimum necessary information as required by law. Do not place information about one patient into another patient's conversation or record.

4Clinical Documentation

Communications that materially affect assessment, treatment, orders, consent, follow-up, patient instructions, or safety must be documented in the clinical record in a timely and accurate manner. Do not delete or alter a finalized clinical entry to conceal an error. Corrections and late entries must preserve the integrity of the original record and identify the correction as appropriate.

5Urgent and Emergency Communications

Portal messages and routine electronic communications are not emergency services and must not be treated as real-time triage unless SBA has expressly established and staffed a service for that purpose. If a message indicates a potential emergency or time-sensitive safety concern, use appropriate escalation procedures and direct the patient to emergency services when clinically indicated.

6Response Coverage

Clinicians are responsible for communicating reasonable response expectations to patients and for arranging coverage when required by professional obligations or an applicable participation agreement. An automated notification does not transfer clinical responsibility to SBA or substitute for appropriate coverage of active care.

7Attachments and External Information

Clinical documents received from a patient or another provider should be associated with the correct patient record and handled under applicable record-retention and privacy requirements. Before relying on externally supplied information, use professional judgment to assess whether it is complete, authentic, and clinically sufficient.

8Confidential Communications and Representatives

Respect legally valid requests for confidential communications and verify the authority of a parent, guardian, caregiver, proxy, or other representative before disclosing protected health information. A person's presence in a household or relationship to a patient does not automatically create authority to receive clinical information.

9Privacy or Security Incidents

Report misdirected messages, unauthorized access, lost devices, suspected account compromise, or other potential privacy or security incidents promptly through SBA's designated reporting channel. Do not investigate by accessing additional patient information beyond what is necessary to stop the issue and make the report.

10Professional Responsibility

Communication tools support clinical practice; they do not replace independent professional judgment, licensure duties, informed consent, or applicable standards of care. Questions about a specific patient should be handled through the approved clinical channel rather than ordinary customer-support email whenever protected health information is involved.