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Hey Practice Builders — it's Steve with Healthcare Marketing Vitals!

Last week, I talked about provider marketing vs practice marketing.

This week, I’m diving into the continuing AI revolution that we’ve been experiencing for the past ~2 years since ChatGPT really hit the market!

Healthcare is slower to adopt AI for good reason—it comes with hidden compliance landmines that could destroy your practice and reputation.

So if you've been tempted to use ChatGPT for patient notes or marketing content, you're not alone.

But doing so would be opening Pandora's Box.

The good news: There's a much safer, smarter way to harness AI's power for your practice without risking everything you've built.

In This Week’s Email:

• [30 sec] Worth Your Time: Worth Your Time: Essential AI compliance resources

• [5 sec] Poll: AI tools you're currently using

• [3 min] Spotlight: The HIPAA-first AI strategy that protects your practice

• [30 sec] By the Numbers: AI in Healthcare

• [30 sec] Quote for the Week: Responsible AI deployment

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ADQUICK

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Key Insights for Using AI in Healthcare

✅ Compliance Before Convenience: The most dangerous AI tools are often the most convenient ones. Public ChatGPT and similar tools can create HIPAA violations that cost practices millions in fines and reputation damage—even if you opt out of training data.

✅ The 18-Identifier Rule: Remember the basics! Seemingly innocent information like admission dates, or even friendly chit-chat from patient encounters can trigger HIPAA violations when fed to AI tools.

✅ Start Small, Scale Smart: The path to AI success begins with HIPAA-compliant tools for non-patient content like marketing content, then gradually expands to more sophisticated applications with proper safeguards and BAAs with tools that are guaranteed secure and compliant.

WORTH YOUR TIME

AI Compliance Resources You Need

🎥 [Watch] Applied AI for Healthcare Marketing - Comprehensive webinar by Wheelhouse Digital Marketing Group on leveraging AI in healthcare marketing while maintaining HIPAA compliance, with step-by-step implementation guidance and real-world case studies. Watch the Webinar →

🎧 [Listen] Is AI Ready for Healthcare? - HIPAA Vault Podcast Episode 69 with hosts Adam and Gil diving into real insights on AI implementation, what's working, and crucial compliance considerations for healthcare organizations. Listen Now →

📋 [Resource] APA's AI Tool Guide for Practitioners - American Psychological Association's comprehensive step-by-step guide highlighting important considerations when assessing AI tools for healthcare practice, including compliance checklists and evaluation criteria (useful for all providers, not just psychotherapists). Read the Guide →

POLL

SPOTLIGHT

How to Open AI's Pandora's Box Without Destroying Your Practice

4 min. read

You've heard the promises. AI will revolutionize your practice. Cut documentation time in half. Generate compelling marketing content in minutes. Transform patient engagement.

And it's all true.

But…the AI evangelists are leaving out a big caveat and if you’ve been reading this for a while, I bet you can guess what it is: The most powerful AI tools are also the most dangerous for healthcare practices due to HIPAA and privacy/security laws.

Every day, healthcare providers are unknowingly committing HIPAA violations that could cost them millions. They're feeding patient information to public AI tools, creating legal time bombs that could explode at any moment.

The problem isn't AI itself. It's that most practices are approaching AI backwards—prioritizing convenience over compliance.

The Hidden Trap

Dr. Sarah Chen thought she was being smart. As a busy psychiatrist, she started using ChatGPT to help organize her session notes. Just quick summaries to save time before writing formal documentation.

What she didn't realize was that every transcript she fed to ChatGPT—even with names removed—contained PHI. Geographic details smaller than a state. Admission dates. Even casual conversation about where patients lived.

According to USC Price School research, this constitutes a data breach under HIPAA—regardless of whether you opt out of training data. The moment that information hits OpenAI's servers, you've violated federal law.

Dr. Chen isn't alone (also, I made her up for this example). Healthcare workers across the country are unknowingly creating compliance disasters, attracted by AI's convenience but unaware of its legal landmines.

The HIPAA-First Solution

The answer isn't avoiding AI. It's adopting what I call the "HIPAA-First AI Strategy"—a systematic approach that prioritizes compliance before convenience.

This strategy is built on three core principles that let you harness AI's power while protecting your practice:

Principle 1: Compliance Before Convenience

The most convenient AI tools are often the most dangerous. Public ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and similar consumer tools are designed for convenience, not healthcare compliance.

Instead of asking "What's the easiest AI tool to use?" ask "What's the safest AI tool that meets my needs?"

HIPAA-compliant alternatives exist. Tools like BastionGPT, Hathr AI, and specialized healthcare platforms offer similar functionality with proper safeguards, encryption, and BAAs.

Principle 2: The 18-Identifier Awareness

HIPAA defines 18 specific identifiers that trigger compliance requirements. Most healthcare providers know the obvious ones—names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth.

But the hidden dangers lurk in seemingly innocent details that are easier to forget about:

• Geographic regions smaller than a state

• Admission or discharge dates

• Details from "friendly chit-chat" during patient encounters

• Even voice recordings that could be transcribed

Before any information touches an AI tool, it must be scrubbed of all 18 identifiers. This isn't optional—it's federal law.

Principle 3: Graduated Implementation

The path to AI success isn't a sprint—it's a strategic climb. Start with low-risk applications that are far away from patient data and gradually build toward more sophisticated uses.

This approach lets you learn AI's capabilities while building compliance muscle memory.

Getting Started: Your 3-Step HIPAA-First Implementation

Ready to harness AI safely? Here's your roadmap:

Step 1: The Compliance Audit (This Week)

Before adding any new AI tools, audit your current usage:

1. Inventory every AI tool currently used in your practice

2. Identify any tools that may have received patient information

3. Immediately discontinue or secure any non-compliant applications

Create a simple spreadsheet with the following columns: Tool name, purpose, compliance status, action needed.

Step 2: The Safe Start (This Month)

Begin your AI journey with zero-risk applications:

• General marketing content (blog posts, social media)

• Educational materials for your website

• Practice management communications

• Staff training materials

Focus on HIPAA-compliant tools with proper business associate agreements. Start building AI workflows that never touch patient information.

Step 3: The Strategic Scale (This Quarter)

Once you've mastered safe AI applications and concepts like automated workflows, gradually introduce more sophisticated uses:

• Implement specialized healthcare AI tools for documentation

• Develop protocols for AI-assisted patient communications

• Train staff on advanced AI applications and compliance requirements

Each new application should be evaluated through your HIPAA-first lens before implementation.

The goal isn't to avoid AI—it's to deploy it responsibly. When done correctly, AI becomes a powerful practice-building tool that enhances patient care while protecting privacy.

Remember: AI is like Pandora's Box. Once opened, there's no going back. But with the right strategy, you can capture its benefits while avoiding its dangers.

BY THE NUMBERS

AI in Healthcare

• 74% of AI therapy apps are at "critical risk" for privacy concerns, highlighting the widespread compliance gaps in AI healthcare applications.

• $102.2 billion is the revenue expected by 2030 through AI in the healthcare

• The 18 HIPAA identifiers for PHI are the specific data points that HIPAA considers protected health information. Most healthcare providers only know 5-6 of these, leaving them vulnerable to unknowing violations.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

When You’re Ready, Here is How I Can Help

1. Reply to this email: What's your single biggest challenge with marketing your practice? I read every response and use your questions to shape future newsletters.

2. Need 15-25+ more patients per provider this month? - Maybe it’s time for a growth sprint.

*Some links in this email may be sponsors or affiliate links. They support this free email at no cost to you. Your support of our sponsors means a great deal to me and goes a long way.

That’s All for Now

Have a great week—and remember while AI can do a lot to help your practice, it is only as useful as you make it.

See You Next Week,

Steve