HIPAA Compliant Apps: How To Make An App HIPAA Compliant?

Posted in HIPAA

Overview

The healthcare industry is booming, and new applications are being developed every other day. They collect, store, and share a user’s Protected Health Information (PHI), which needs to be safeguarded from unauthorized access. Handling PHI is challenging; therefore, strict laws, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), govern sensitive data transfer. Any vendor willing to develop health-related software solutions for the U.S. market must comply with HIPAA standards. HIPAA compliant applications ensure the safe storage of health data and prevent it from being disclosed without the patient’s consent.

Popular healthcare data integration companies and other organizations, including Cerner, an electronic health records software company, and Scopic, a medical imaging software company, have understood HIPAA compliance application development and ensure that all of their software follows the protocol. 

Let’s go into more detail about what is HIPAA compliance for apps, what medical software development services do to achieve it, and how they build a HIPAA compliant app.

5 Steps of HIPAA Compliant App Development 

A HIPAA compliant app should have an interactive medical app UI design for users’ easy navigation and strong security features. Here is how to make an app HIPAA compliant: 

Step 1: Find An Expert Consultant

If you are new to healthcare software development, try to avoid attempting to meet HIPAA standards yourself. Hiring an expert for consultation and audit with some experience of HIPPA compliant apps is always better. If that is not an option, you can always outsource the task. Connect with an experienced third-party team to make an app HIPAA compliant. Make sure to clearly state your agenda to meet your end goals. 

Step 2: Evaluate Patient Data

Evaluate the patient data you collect to qualify it as Protected Health Information (PHI). Avoid storing or sharing unnecessary information through your HIPPA compliant mobile apps. 

Step 3: Find Third-Party HIPAA Compliant Solutions

Making a HIPAA-compliant app from scratch is an investment, and you must be ready to spare a lot of capital to build cloud based HIPAA compliant applications. 

However, an option to save time, money, and resources is to find an established HIPAA-compliant infrastructure or solution—IAAS (Infrastructure as a Service). You can use a third-party service to store and handle data by making a business associate agreement with them. Make sure you follow proper vendor verification protocols before formally signing the contract.

Step 4: Encrypt All Stored and Transferred Data

If an app stores and shares PHI, it must encrypt the information using the best security practices with multiple encryption levels to prevent breaches. Once you have encrypted data, take great care to keep it secure from being stolen by other devices.

Step 5: Test and Maintain App Security  

Testing software is of utmost significance, and you need to test your HIPAA app after every update. Make sure to consult an expert to help you test your app statically and dynamically to ensure it’s up-to-date. 

The security tools, libraries, and frameworks used to build apps are constantly revamped. So, the work does not end after developing a HIPAA compliant app; periodic checks of the tools and frameworks are necessary to prevent security breaches. Maintenance is a continuous process and a requirement to keep your app secure and updated.

How Much Does It Cost To Build A HIPAA Compliant App?

The overall cost to build a HIPAA-compliant app varies depending on the following factors:

• Duration of the development
• Development rate
• Complexity of the product
• Technology stack
• Team size

The more features there are, the more complex it will be to build a HIPAA compliant app. 

The average cost for a fully featured HIPAA-compliant app may be around $50,000. This cost includes the complete application system development that also fulfills technical and physical security requirements. 

For small covered entities (hospitals, doctors, clinics, insurance companies, etc.), the cost of developing a HIPAA-compliant app is around $4,000 to $12,000. This cost covers risk management, management plans, remediation, training, and policy development expenses. 

On the other hand, for a middle-sized or large covered entity, the cost may be about $50,000 and above. Another possible cost for building a healthcare app is around $23,333; however, it is likely to go as low as $5,000 and as high as $40,000.

In a nutshell, the cost of developing an all-in-one HIPAA compliant app is high, whereas a HIPAA compliant app with fewer features is more affordable. 

Does HIPAA Apply To Mobile Apps?

Health applications that require users to enter their information do not necessarily have to be HIPAA-compliant. For example, a fitness tracking application gathers patient information like blood pressure, weight, and medical history. It does not need to comply with HIPAA as long as the information only remains accessible to that particular user.

Covered entities such as (healthcare providers, health plan providers, or healthcare clearinghouses) require HIPAA compliant mobile app development to collect and keep track of patient health data. Since it involves the role of covered entities and the sharing of PHI, the HIPAA law applies to it.

For example, a medical insurance provider has developed an app for consumers to track the status of their claims and coverage details. The information collected will be directly under the provider’s control, which means it falls under the HIPAA umbrella. 

Simply put, HIPAA security and privacy laws apply to all health apps that store a user’s health data and are accessible to individuals other than the data owner. 

What Is A HIPAA-Compliant App?

A HIPAA-compliant app adheres to HIPAA standards and regulations. HIPAA compliance involves implementing the necessary measures for software systems to ensure the security and privacy of electronically protected health information (ePHI).

With the rise of security threats and significant data breaches, developing HIPAA-compliant apps is becoming more important. Concerned businesses need to take great measures to protect health information. 

HIPAA compliant apps include a set of special security features listed below:

User Identification

HIPAA-compliant apps have a user identification feature to maintain security. These applications prompt users to enter credentials for every new session. App developers ensure that user identity features are added to applications to control the integrity of their network and prevent the interchange of patient confidential data.

Data Encryption

Since health data is critical, it is important to employ a multilayered security approach that prevents unauthorized access. HIPAA-compliant apps have a set feature to ensure that PHI is encrypted. Though encryption is a significant part of preventing data breaches, it is just a single layer. 

Emergency Access

HIPAA compliant apps often include a feature that allows patients to easily contact their care team, including emergency contacts, ensuring on-time medical assistance in critical situations.

Healthcare Data Breaches of 500+ Records (2009-2024)

How Do You Know If An App Is HIPAA-Compliant?

To verify an application’s HIPAA compliance, one needs to examine its security mechanisms and privacy terms. Learning about how an application works and what security measures it takes is helpful in understanding whether it has achieved compliance with HIPAA. 

Another step to determining an application’s compliance with HIPAA is testing. Through testing, you can assess whether the app has any vulnerabilities that can result in a data breach. However, if your application is custom-built, checking its compliance with HIPAA regulations is difficult. Since customized apps are only used by particular organizations, they may not be tested or well-documented. 

Therefore, they need special security tests and audits by a professional to help you understand if the app follows HIPAA rules.

Pre-built applications often have established compliance records, making verifying their adherence to HIPAA regulations easier. Many organizations use them, so they are frequently tested and come with compliance documentation.

Are Health Apps Subject To HIPAA?

The answer to whether health apps are subject to HIPAA depends on the source of data and the purpose of its collection for the apps. 

HIPAA requires healthcare entities to protect PHI, which is any information that covered entities create or receive related to an individual’s health history and their identity. So, any health app that uses such information is required to comply with HIPAA rules.

Mobile health (mHealth) apps that commercial vendors provide for individuals are not covered by HIPAA since a vendor is not one of the covered entities or business associates. Either way, HIPAA law requires healthcare applications to keep a patient’s data secure and not reveal it without their consent.

Can You Release Medical Information Over The Phone In The USA, UK, Canada & Australia?

The U.S.

In the U.S., patients can access and share their medical information on a smartphone without any cost. Insurers can also share patients’ health claim data with them through Medicare and Medicaid on the phone. For this, HIPAA law includes mechanisms to ensure that the sharing of PHI does not increase serious threats to an individual’s safety and health. 

UK

In the UK, legal authorities are allowed to collect and release medical information over the phone. However, the data can only be shared once the patients give their consent. This means the release of their health data is still in their hands. If they express disapproval, their medical information is immediately stopped from being shared.

Canada

Canada also has multiple privacy laws regarding the sharing of sensitive medical data. It obliges healthcare sectors to consider patient privacy and guidelines to ensure compliance with laws. For example, when a patient’s health data is shared on the phone, it must also include the patient’s consent to exchange it on a lawful basis. 

Moreover, Canada’s privacy laws clarify that data sharing must be limited and proportionate to the amount required.

Australia

The Australian government has laws that protect people’s personal information. In Australia, medical information is only allowed to be released when the person permits it and can be revealed on the phone when the law authorizes it. 

As long as a person’s medical data meets the standards of Australian Privacy Principles, it is the property of the relevant person and the government. If this data needs to be shared, the first step is to get the consent of the person (to whom the data belongs).

Developing a HIPAA Compliant App is Now Easy With Folio3 Digital Health 

Folio3 Digital Health is known for developing innovative digital healthcare solutions that prioritize patient privacy and data security. We provide HIPAA-compliant software that can improve healthcare organizations’ administrative abilities and positively impact overall patient care. Our team of experienced healthcare IT experts develops applications tailored to meet your requirements. 

Closing Note 

We hope that the five steps mentioned earlier in the blog served its purpose of explaining how to build a HIPAA compliant app with ease. Applications that store and share an individual’s health data must comply with HIPAA to prevent data breaches. Achieving compliance with HIPAA can include costs similar to telemedicine software costs and telemedicine startup costs, but it is a worthwhile investment.

Learn more about the best practices to ensure HIPAA compliance with your Telemedicine platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is IOS HIPAA compliant?

Currently, Apple IOS does not address security or privacy requirements for HIPAA compliance. Therefore, it may be insecure and non-compliant.

Is texting patient information a HIPAA violation?

Typically, texting patient information is not a HIPAA violation. However, if the text message contains patient information that the patient gave no consent to sharing, it becomes a HIPAA violation to share it.

What Are Some Common HIPAA Compliant Payment Apps?

• Stripe
• Adyen
• Square
• PaySimple
• Concur
• Authorize.Net
• PayPal
• Braintree
• Dwolla
• TSYS

What makes a phone line HIPAA compliant?

When organizations build their communication systems to share patient information by considering physical and network security measures, their phone lines become HIPAA-compliant.

Is Bluetooth HIPAA compliant?

Bluetooth is a wireless network, and it is not encrypted. Despite having security controls, Bluetooth may not be robust enough to safeguard HIPAA-covered data.

Is speakerphone a HIPAA violation?

A speakerphone is not a HIPAA-compliant feature, so it is better to avoid using it when referring to any private data. Otherwise, it can lead to a HIPAA violation.

What is HIPAA in healthcare operations?

HIPAA is US legislation that establishes standards for ensuring the safe and secure storage of health data. It is enforced by the US Department of Health and Human Services, particularly its Office for Civil Rights. HIPAA aims to protect the exchange of sensitive data across the healthcare industry and requires every healthcare provider to comply with its healthcare operations to transmit sensitive information safely. HIPAA security can be achieved with the help of healthcare compliance consulting firms to establish safety guards for data protection. 

What is Epic software?

Epic is a leading cloud-based EHR software used in healthcare organizations to manage their day-to-day tasks, including patient health records. 

What is the Epic System for Healthcare?

Epic System is a privately held healthcare corporation that provides software solutions. It is one of the largest healthcare solution providers, mainly developing EHR systems with capabilities such as storing, receiving, and sharing medical data for large healthcare practices and hospitals. Moreover, like HL7 Integration, Epic also provides Epic Integration Services, which various practices use to connect different systems and create a seamless data-sharing network.

What is a Clinical Decision Support System – Benefits, Examples, And Tools?

A clinical decision support system is an interactive platform that helps clinicians collect information from various sources and make data-driven decisions to support their care delivery. 

Since the decisions are fact-based, it offers the following benefits: 

• Reduced errors
• Low risk of misdiagnosis 
• Improves the efficiency of clinicians
• Delivers reliable and consistent information

Examples of a clinical decision support system

• Laboratory Information Systems
• Pharmacy Information Systems

How much does HIPAA compliance cost?

The price varies among compliance professionals; an average estimate is between $80,000 and $120,000.

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