Telemedicine/Telehealth: Zoom Platform Protection Tips

As we adapt and modify sessions to telemedicine, below we are  sharing tips and updated policies/procedures for best practice. 
 
This week, as Zoom has been more frequently used for telehealth, it has demonstrated some opportunities for privacy breaches and exposure to misuse.  To defend yourself and our clients from this, please keep the following in mind to ensure privacy when utilizing Zoom:

• Keep meetings and classrooms private. Do this by requiring a meeting password. Additionally, the “Waiting Room” feature can help hosts control who enters.
• Do not share invites to Zoom meetings on social media. Instead, send the meeting password directly to attendees.
• Use a random meeting ID, so it can’t be shared multiple times. According to Zoom’s website, this is safer than using a “Personal Meeting ID."
• Change screen sharing settings to “Only Host,” so no one but the host can control the screen. The host can also mute participants in their settings. 
• Lock a Zoom session that has already begun so no one else can join.  Do this by clicking “Participants” in the bottom of a Zoom window, then clicking “Lock Meeting.” 
• Make sure you have the most updated version of Zoom’s software.  A recent security update added default passwords and disabled the ability to scan for meetings to join. 
• Change Zoom settings to lock down the meeting to keep out uninvited guests.  

Stay safe, healthy, and at home!