Secure email for healthcare
The challenge in healthcare
In a practice, a lot of sensitive information goes over email: referrals, reports, appointments, questions from patients. On top of that comes professional confidentiality. The core of the problem is that ordinary, unsecured email isn't really made for that: messages can be read along the way if there's no good security on them. At the same time it has to stay workable: a GP or therapist has no time for cumbersome systems.
So the practice comes down to a balance: protecting data as it should be, without communication grinding to a halt.
Take a physiotherapy practice that exchanges reports with a GP, or a psychologist who emails clients about appointments. In both cases, special categories of personal data pass through your mailbox. One misaddressed or intercepted message can be a data breach straight away. That's why secure email in healthcare starts with laying the foundations properly, not with loose tricks after the fact.
Secure email in healthcare: what it comes down to
Secure email for healthcare stands or falls with three things: where your data is, how it's protected in transit, and who has access. European hosting arranges the first, encrypted connections the second, and strong access security the third. The rest of this page works out those three points concretely.
What the rules require
Health data is a special category of personal data under the GDPR, for which stricter requirements apply than for ordinary data. Professional organizations are clear about this: unsecured email is generally not suitable for sending medical data, but with appropriate security it can be responsible (see the code of conduct of the Orde der artsen, the Belgian order of physicians, and the guidance of the Belgian Data Protection Authority in the sources below).
In practice that means: ensure encrypted connections, check that the recipient is allowed to receive the data, and limit what you share by email to what is necessary. Want to go deeper into the rules? Then read may I send medical or patient data by email. This is informative explanation, not legal advice. Consult a specialist or your professional organization if in doubt.
What your email should then be able to do
For a healthcare practice, this counts above all:
- European, GDPR-compliant hosting. Your data then falls under European rules and isn't just stored outside the EU.
- Encrypted connections between your device and the server, so messages are protected in transit.
- Strong access security, such as two-step verification, so that a leaked password doesn't give access straight away.
- Protection against phishing and malware, because healthcare practices are a favorite target.
- Reliable backups, so correspondence doesn't just get lost.
- Your own domain, so the address is and stays the practice's, even when staff change.
Why Mailflux fits
Mailflux is professional email on your own domain, hosted in Europe and GDPR-compliant, exactly the starting point that healthcare needs. Every plan includes antivirus, anti-spam and anti-malware, automatic backups and optional two-step verification. The spam, phishing and malware filtering works with machine learning. And you email via webmail in the browser or via your trusted mail program; no installation required.
For a practice with several employees there is bulk account management, so you create and manage addresses all at once. If you work specifically as a GP, take a look too at email for GPs. An overview of all target groups is on who Mailflux is for.
What Mailflux deliberately does not do: superfluous bells and whistles. Just secure, workable email with real, personal support whenever you need it.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
May I as a healthcare provider send patient data by email?
Only in a secure way and limited to what is necessary. Health data is specially protected under the GDPR. Ensure encryption and check that the recipient is allowed to receive the data. Consult your professional organization if in doubt.
Is email on your own domain safer than a free address?
It's not about the domain itself, but about what sits beneath it. With European, GDPR-compliant hosting, encrypted connections and two-step verification, you have a solid foundation that free services often don't offer in that way.
Does Mailflux work with my existing software?
Yes. Mailflux works with all common mail programs and with webmail in the browser, on every device. So you don't have to overhaul your way of working.
Can I arrange email for my whole practice at once?
Yes. With bulk account management you create multiple mailboxes at once under your own practice domain, for example an address per employee plus shared addresses such as reception@. That way the practice keeps management central and everything stays under one own domain.