Bruce BassiWhen it comes to email marketing, choosing the right platform is crucial, especially for businesses operating in the healthcare industry. Ensuring HIPAA compliance is a top priority to protect sensitive patient information. In this article, we’ll compare Constant Contact and Paubox, two popular email marketing software options, to help you make an informed decision on the best HIPAA-compliant solution for your needs.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
| Features | Constant Contact | Paubox |
| HIPAA Compliance | Yes. Rquires additional steps and configuration to meet HIPAA regulations. | Yes. Built specifically for HIPAA compliance, providing comprehensive security features. |
| Encryption | Encrypted via industry-standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) | End-to-end encryption for secure email communication by Paubox servers with 128/256-bit AES encryption |
| BAA Availability | Available, but does not allow for transmission of PHI. | Available with clear responsibilities outlined for HIPAA compliance. |
| Secure Attachment Delivery | Basic security measures for attachments. | Secure attachment delivery with encryption and data loss prevention. |
| Data Storage and Retention | Varies; review terms for compliance. | Secure and encrypted storage in compliance with HIPAA guidelines. |
Constant Contact: Overview and Features
Constant Contact is a well-established email marketing platform known for its user-friendly interface and extensive features. It offers a range of tools designed to streamline email marketing campaigns, including email templates, contact management, and list segmentation. However, in terms of HIPAA compliance, Constant Contact has certain limitations.
HIPAA Compliance with Constant Contact
Constant Contact is not explicitly built for the healthcare industry, which means it does not provide native HIPAA compliance features. While the platform can be used by healthcare organizations, it requires additional steps to meet HIPAA regulations fully. This may involve signing a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Constant Contact and implementing appropriate security measures to safeguard patient data.
Paubox: Overview and Features
Paubox is a specialized email marketing solution tailored specifically for HIPAA compliance. Unlike Constant Contact, Paubox is designed with the healthcare industry in mind, offering robust security features and seamless integration with existing healthcare systems.
HIPAA Compliance with Paubox
Paubox takes HIPAA compliance seriously and provides comprehensive features to ensure the security and privacy of patient information. With Paubox, you can enjoy features such as encrypted email delivery, secure attachments, and a user-friendly interface. Paubox’s platform is built with the necessary safeguards to meet HIPAA compliant manner, allowing healthcare provider to maintain compliance without additional complex configurations.
You can check our post for more options for the Best Secure Email for Your Private Practice.
Key Differences: Constant Contact vs. Paubox
1. Security and Encryption
Constant Contact: While Constant Contact offers basic security measures, such as TLS encryption during transit, it may not be sufficient to meet HIPAA compliance standards.
Paubox: Paubox provides robust security measures, including end-to-end encryption, data loss prevention, and secure attachment delivery, ensuring HIPAA compliance.
The winner
Paubox. While both offer a BAA, the encryption standards for Paubox is superior.
2. BAA and Compliance Documentation
Constant Contact: Constant Contact offers a BAA, but reviewing and negotiating the terms is important to ensure full compliance carefully.
Paubox: Paubox provides a readily available BAA, which clearly outlines the responsibilities of both parties, making it easier to establish HIPAA compliance. Not only that, but it is also HITRUST CSF certified.
The winner
Paubox. Paubox was created with security in mind. Constant Contact was originally created for marketing purposes then retrofitted for HIPAA compliance.
3. Ease of Use and Integration
Constant Contact: Constant Contact offers a user-friendly interface and provides integrations with popular third-party tools, making it accessible for users with varying technical expertise.
Paubox: Paubox provides a seamless integration experience, allowing healthcare provider to integrate with their existing systems and workflows easily. Having a lot of integration is awesome for healthcare providers.
The winner
Constant Contact. Constant Contact has the advantage of years of product testing and refinement to improve the user experience. Constant contact also has a larger support team.
4. Data Storage and Retention
Constant Contact: With Constant Contact, data storage, and retention policies may vary, and it is essential to review their terms to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Paubox: Paubox provides secure and encrypted storage for sensitive patient data, ensuring that information is protected and retained according to HIPAA guidelines. It offers some useful features like Email archiving and Email DLP.
5. Audit Logs and Tracking
Constant Contact: Constant Contact does not offer comprehensive audit logs and tracking features specifically designed for healthcare organizations to monitor email activities and ensure compliance.
Paubox: Paubox provides detailed audit logs, enabling healthcare organizations to track email activities, monitor access, mail logs, ruleset access, and quarantine and maintain an audit trail for compliance purposes.
The winner
Paubox. Paubox offers audit logs and Constant Contact does not.
6. Secure Forms and Surveys
Constant Contact: Constant Contact offers basic form-building capabilities but may not provide the encryption and security measures required for HIPAA-compliant forms and surveys.
Paubox: Paubox includes a secure form and survey features that meet HIPAA requirements, allowing healthcare organizations to collect sensitive patient data securely. You can also integrate your created form with your website using their link.
The winner
Paubox. The forms offered in Constant Contact are basic.
7. Customer Support and Training
Constant Contact: Constant Contact provides customer support through various channels, including phone, email, live chat, and asking the community. They also offer online resources and training materials via Blogs, Knowledge Base, Video Tutorials, Webinars, and others.
Paubox: Paubox offers dedicated customer support specifically focused on healthcare organizations’ needs. They provide personalized assistance, training, and guidance to ensure smooth implementation and compliance.
The winner
Constant Contact. You can reach a support representative easily.
8. Pricing and Scalability
Constant Contact: Constant Contact offers different pricing plans based on the number of subscribers. While it may suit small to medium-sized businesses, the pricing structure may become less cost-effective for larger healthcare organizations. Their Lite package starts from $12/month and their standard plan is $35/mo.
Paubox: Paubox provides pricing plans that are tailored to healthcare organizations’ needs, with scalable options to accommodate the growth and requirements of the business. Their plan for over 100 contacts is currently $199 per month.
Lastly, both the software has Free Trials, so you can use their platforms before getting a big package.
The winner
Constant Contact. Paubox can be prohibitively expensive for some practices.
Summary
When it comes to choosing the best HIPAA-compliant email marketing software, both Constant Contact and Paubox have their strengths. However, if you are a healthcare organization prioritizing HIPAA compliance, Paubox is the superior choice. Its specialized features, robust security measures, and readily available BAA makes it an ideal solution for handling sensitive patient information.
Remember, HIPAA compliance is not something to take lightly. It is crucial to thoroughly evaluate your specific requirements and consult with legal and IT experts before making a final decision. By choosing the right email marketing software like Paubox, you can ensure the privacy and security of patient data while effectively reaching your target audience through email marketing campaigns.
