You will need legal documents in place before you start enrolling patients. The documents you will need are:
- Patient enrollment agreement: This is the document that sets the terms of your clinic with your patient. Things to include are scope of practice, emergency guidelines, pricing and Medicare information whether you are opted in or out.
- HIPAA forms: This should explain HIPAA to your patient
- HIPAA waiver: If you are using email and text you may consider asking patients to sign a HIPAA waiver. This does not mean you give away your patients information, but protects you if there is a breach.
Additionally, I have and recommend creating a short patient handbook to help patients make the most of your clinic. Here you outline clinic hours, phone and fax numbers, timing when calls will be answered and how long they can expect a response. I recommend outlining emergency procedures again here.