Healthcare

HIPAA-Compliant Software Development Checklist [2024]

By Darshak Doshi

September 11, 2024

Summary
As the healthcare industry adopts digital solutions, HIPAA-compliant software is crucial. Whether you are designing health insurance software, a healthcare CRM, or a healthcare app, HIPAA compliance is key. It’s not just a legal requirement. It builds trust with healthcare providers and patients. This blog is a detailed guide on the HIPAA Compliance Checklist for Healthcare Software Development. It covers how to make your software HIPAA-compliant.

HIPAA Compliance in Healthcare Software Development

In this era of innovation, healthcare software is vital. It must deliver quality services, boost productivity, and ensure client privacy. With rising healthcare data breaches, all apps must be HIPAA compliant. If you are designing a healthcare software app or outsourcing its development, consider HIPAA compliance. It’s crucial for your HIPAA-compliant healthcare software application. We aim to provide a short guide for creating HIPAA Compliance for Software Developers.

HIPAA Compliance Statistics

The recent statistics and guidelines on HIPAA-compliant software development stress the need to protect patient health info (PHI). HIPAA violations result in fines spanning from $137 to nearly $70,000. Organizations may face a maximum of $2 million per year for repeated violations. Healthcare organizations have faced a surge in cyberattacks. Over 50% reported a data breach in the past two years.

HIPAA: A Brief Outline and Its Importance to Software Developers

First, let’s discuss why HIPAA compliance matters in software development. Then, we will go through the process of creating HIPAA-compliant software. HIPAA was enacted in 1996 and it has the main objective of protecting patient’s sensitive information. The act covers healthcare centers, personnel, insurers, and their partners, like software developers.

HIPAA applied to software development, mandates the highest protection for all PHI and data in transit. Any healthcare or health insurance software that stores PHI must follow HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rules. This includes various software categories. They are medical billing, healthcare CRM, a patient health management portal, and a mobile HIPAA-compliant healthcare app.

HIPAA compliance applies to Healthcare Software Development Services. To protect patient data, developers must add features. These include encryption, access controls, and constant auditing. Some firms in the market already use best practices to meet HIPAA. Their healthcare apps are now HIPAA-compliant. So, they are reliable partners in healthcare tech.

Steps To Make Software HIPAA-Compliant

Your healthcare software must comply with HIPAA. This requires specific rules and security measures to protect patients’ data. Here are the key steps to develop HIPAA-compliant software:

1. Data Encryption

Healthcare data security and HIPAA compliance is the building block of the HIPAA-compliant software. When it comes to the matters of healthcare, all data transmitted as well as the data stored has to be encrypted. Encryption ensures that, if the data is intercepted, it is useless. Only the decryption key can unlock it.

Full disk encryption protects data across a network. This includes data sent from the healthcare provider’s server to the patient’s device. The Intellify ensures that all healthcare software they develop has strong, HIPAA-compliant encryption.

2. Authentication and Access Control

The data in the health sector should be available only to certain persons who have been mandated to work on the data. Using measures like MFA adds extra user authentication. It requires proving one’s identity via two or three methods, like a password and mobile verification. Another important feature of HIPAA-compliant software is role-based access control.

This ensures that users can only access the data they need for their work. It minimizes the chance of unauthorized access to this data. That is why Healthcare CRM Software Development must use these types of authentication. They ensure only the right people can access patients’ data.

3. Regular Audits and Activity Monitoring

HIPAA requires healthcare organizations and their associates to audit their systems often. They must find and address any risks. Audits enable the tracking of the actual use of the data, the changes that are made in the data and any attempt that is made to access the data. It is also crucial in HIPAA’s logging requirements to develop audit trails as well. They help organizations with compliance and security.

4. Secure Data Backup and Recovery

Data Backup and Recovery is the process of storing data safely in an organization’s storage media or external devices. It also means restoring lost or corrupted data from those storage devices.

The healthcare data is something that cannot be left to chance and can in no way be allowed to go unsecured. To be HIPAA compliant, one must ensure frequent data backups. They must be retrievable at any time, in case of system failure or data theft.

Backed-up data should be encrypted and stored in facilities that meet the set HIPAA requirements. A disaster recovery plan is crucial in case data is leaked so there is a need to have a plan on how to recover the data in case of loss.

Also Read: Guide to Choosing Ideal Healthcare Software Development Partner

Functionalities That Characterize The HIPAA-Compliant Software

HIPAA-compliant software must have some features. They go beyond basic data protection, like encryption and user authentication. These features ensure that healthcare apps meet HIPAA standards. They are also user-friendly for providers and patients.

1. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Access control is key to HIPAA-compliant software. A key part of it is role-based access control. RBAC lets the healthcare organization restrict a user’s data access. It does this by assigning the user a role. For instance, the physician may be able to view all the records of a patient while a clerk may only view the billing section. RBAC ensures that only those who need access can get specific data. This greatly reduces the risk of intrusions.

2. Data Integrity Controls

Data integrity controls ensure that healthcare data is valid, complete, and credible. These controls also help to avoid changes to patient records by those who are not authorized to do so. In HIPAA-compliant healthcare software development, implement data validation. It should verify input errors. Also, track all modifications. Medical software HIPAA-compliant requires an error correction mechanism.

3. Audit Logs and Monitoring

HIPAA requires audit logs. They must record every access, change, or deletion of patient info. These logs are vital for auditing healthcare organizations. They help identify who accessed sensitive information and why. If there is a security breach, audit logs are useful in tracing the source of the breach and useful in future security planning.

The Intellify’s healthcare apps include logging and monitoring features. They help providers track data access and compliance.

4. Data Transmission Security

HIPAA demands that all the data that is transmitted over public networks like the Internet is encrypted. This applies to communication among caregivers and with patients and third-party apps.

The main protocols for protecting data transmission in healthcare apps are SSL and TLS. They are both encryption methods. For instance,The Intellify’s healthcare CRM software uses these encryption protocols. They ensure the secure transfer of all patient information between systems and devices.

5. Data Storage Security

A healthcare app must store all patient information in an encrypted format. It must protect this data from unauthorized access, per HIPAA standards. This applies to data that is saved on the local server of the various healthcare providers and data that is saved remotely in the cloud. Cloud services used in healthcare must meet HIPAA requirements. This protects and secures their data.

Business Associate Agreements (BAAs): HIPAA Rules – The Legal Foundation

If software developers work with healthcare organizations, they are “business associates” under HIPAA. This means the software firm becomes a Business Associate of the healthcare organization. So, they need to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA).

A BAA stipulates that both parties will follow the policies set by HIPAA and explains the duties of each party on the data of the patients.

BAAs are important. They define roles for protecting data. They also state the penalties for noncompliance with HIPAA regulations. If the healthcare org and the software firm do not sign a BAA, they can face heavy penalties and legal consequences for a data breach.

The Role that Cloud Services Play in HIPAA Compliance

Many organizations and patients prefer mobile health apps. They are flexible, scalable, and cost-effective because they use the cloud. Nevertheless, using cloud services creates new issues of concern in terms of HIPAA compliance. The cloud providers can secure the data. However, healthcare organizations must ensure their cloud provider meets HIPAA standards.

To do this, the CSP must sign a BAA with the healthcare organization. Then, it must follow HIPAA rules on data encryption, storage, and audits. Healthcare software that stores or processes PHI must encrypt data. It must also have strong access controls to prevent breaches.

Companies like The Intellify provide HIPAA-compliant cloud services. They build healthcare apps that combine cloud computing’s benefits with HIPAA’s needed security. They work with compliant cloud providers to do this.

HIPAA Compliance for the Development of Healthcare CRM Software

CRM systems are now vital in most healthcare facilities. They help manage patient data, appointment schedules, billing, and communication. However, CRM systems store and process healthcare info protected by HIPAA. So, they must be designed to comply with HIPAA.

The HIPAA-compliant healthcare CRM must have all the security features in the HIPAA regulations. This includes encryption, access control, and an audit trail, among others. These traits ensure that only authorized people can access patient data in the CRM. It also controls any changes to that data.

Healthcare CRM Software Development is one of the service offerings in The Intellify’s service portfolio. Their CRM systems are built with healthcare providers in mind as well as being fully compliant with all aspects of the HIPAA. If you need to design or improve a CRM, trust our healthcare software.

Ongoing Compliance: HIPAA Compliant Software Development: Lessons from the Field

HIPAA compliance is not a ‘set it and forget it’ process; it is a constant process of monitoring, auditing, and updating. Healthcare technology is dynamic. So, compliance is also dynamic. There are always new security threats and updates from the authorities.

1. Employee Training

Thus, the most efficient method of maintaining compliance is the recurring training of employees. HIPAA has a rule that software developers and healthcare providers must be trained in and know how to apply their software, for example managing PHI, responding to a breach, and using HIPAA-compliant software tools.

2. Risk Assessments

Periodic security audits enable one to establish areas of weakness in the healthcare software. Such assessments should check the software and the procedures for handling patients’ information. Risk assessment helps healthcare organizations and their partners. It addresses vulnerabilities that could breach patient information before they occur.

3. Incident Response Plan

This is especially important in the case of a data breach where an organization has to have a properly documented response plan. This plan should show what one should do in case a breach has occurred: how to isolate the breach, who to inform, and how to report the breach to the HHS. Such measures help the healthcare organizations involved.

Conclusion

Healthcare software is vital in the medical industry. It must comply with HIPAA. This is a legal requirement. It also helps protect patient privacy and build trust. Making software HIPAA compliant involves these steps. However, there is no clear roadmap to achieve compliance. Healthcare software must comply with HIPAA. This includes encryption, access control, data storage, and BAAs.

That is why companies like The Intellify exist. They provide HIPAA-compliant software development services to healthcare providers. This removes their worries about compliance issues. As 2024 approaches, healthcare organizations must stay updated on HIPAA guidelines. They must also implement the best security solutions.

For more information on how we can help you achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance, Contact Us today. We are here to ensure your healthcare software meets all regulatory requirements and supports your organization’s success.

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Written By,

Darshak Doshi

Written By, Darshak Doshi

With over a decade of experience, Darshak is a technopreneur specializing in cloud-based applications and product development in healthcare, insurance, and manufacturing. He excels in AWS Cloud, backend development, and immersive technologies like AR/VR to drive innovation and efficiency. Darshak has also explored AI/ML in insurance and healthcare, pushing the boundaries of technology to solve complex problems. His user-focused, results-driven approach ensures he builds scalable cloud solutions, cutting-edge AR/VR experiences, and AI-driven insights that meet today’s demands while anticipating future needs.