Securely sharing patient information is vital in the United States where healthcare organizations and their business associates are required to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and state laws governing health information privacy. In Europe, all personal data must be secured to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and many countries have regulations covering personally identifiable health. In order to comply with these regulations, organizations that operate globally must ensure that medical information is fully protected when it is transmitted electronically and access controls are in place to ensure that only authorized individuals can view that information.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), aka Doctors Without Borders, is a non-governmental organization that provides emergency humanitarian medical care in conflict zones and countries affected by natural disasters, endemic diseases, and exclusion. MSF was formed in 1971 and has grown into an international movement of 63,000 people in more than 70 countries. MSF operates in extremely challenging environments and its clinicians must rely on smartphones for sharing critical patient information with their coordination teams, peers, and remote specialists. Any information shared electronically must be kept private and confidential and needs to be rapidly communicated to support clinical decisions that save lives.

There are many instant messaging platforms for mobile devices that allow rapid communication of information but they often lack the necessary privacy protections and security safeguards for communicating medical information to ensure global compliance. MSF conducted an in-depth review of messaging apps that could meet its unique communication needs and chose Celo Health’s secure messaging technology. Celo Health’s cloud communications platform was chosen due to its ease of use, global compliance, affordability, and reliability in challenging network environments. The platform was easy to implement on iOS and Android phones and desktop computers, required no training, and allowed instant onboarding of employees. The platform’s built-in directory enables MSF healthcare teams to reach the right person instantly, and the time saved communicating helps MSF to save lives.

“Due to the sensitive nature of information discussed and shared in MSF projects globally, providing secure messaging services is a top priority for the Telemedicine program,” said Clara Mazon, director of Telemedicine at MSF. “We look forward to working with Celo to improve access to secure messaging for MSF projects worldwide.” MSF has now confirmed that it has successfully implemented the Celo Health platform across the organization and is being used to support its operations in 87 countries. The collaboration between MSF and Celo Health has transformed communication within MSF teams, facilitating the instant secure exchange of patient-related clinical information even in the most challenging environments.

“We’re excited to partner with such a prestigious humanitarian organization and to help them transform their communications so it can deliver healthcare in crisis zones and underserved areas throughout the world. Celo is also committed to supporting MSF’s noble mission of providing free medical care to people who need it,” said Steve Vlok, CEO and founder of Celo. “MSF was also impressed by Celo’s simple yet comprehensive interface and onboarding process. Our team’s due diligence and transparency around privacy and security measures also made Celo stand out among our global competitors.”

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