What is a HIPAA Compliant App?

A HIPAA compliant app must implement technical, administrative, and physical safeguards. This includes end-to-end encryption, audit trails, role-based access controls, automatic message retention capabilities, and a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with the service provider.

A HIPAA-compliant app is a software application that follows the security and privacy regulations outlined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This ensures that any protected health information (PHI) it handles is kept confidential, secure, and available to authorized users. The responsibility for compliance rests with the healthcare organization using the app, but the app’s provider must provide the necessary safeguards. 

Key features of a HIPAA-compliant app

To be considered HIPAA-compliant, an app must incorporate several security measures and follow strict protocols. 

Technical safeguards

These are the most prominent app features for protecting electronic PHI (ePHI): 

• Encryption: All PHI must be encrypted while stored (“at rest”) and when transmitted (“in transit”) using industry standards like AES-256 and TLS 1.2 or higher.
• Access controls: Only authorized users, based on their role, can access PHI. Mechanisms include unique user IDs, secure passwords, multi-factor authentication, and automatic log-offs after inactivity.
• Audit trails: The app must record all activity related to PHI, such as access, modification, and deletion. These tamper-proof logs must be kept for at least six years to support investigations and audits.
• Secure communication: For features like messaging or video calls, all communication channels must be encrypted to prevent interception. This means avoiding unsecured channels like standard SMS or email for PHI.
• Disaster recovery: The app must include a data backup and disaster recovery plan to quickly restore data in case of an emergency. 

Administrative and physical safeguards

Beyond the app’s features, the organization and app vendor must implement policies and procedures to protect PHI. 

• Business Associate Agreement (BAA): A legal contract signed between a healthcare provider (Covered Entity) and an app vendor (Business Associate) that outlines the vendor’s responsibility for protecting PHI. Without a BAA, the app cannot be HIPAA-compliant.
• Risk assessment: The app and the organization using it must undergo regular risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities that could compromise PHI.
• Secure hosting: Any third-party cloud hosting provider must offer a HIPAA-compliant infrastructure and sign a BAA.
• Employee training: Staff who handle PHI through the app must receive regular HIPAA training to prevent accidental human error. 

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Who needs a HIPAA-compliant app?

An app needs to be HIPAA-compliant if it is created for or used by a “covered entity” or “business associate” and handles PHI. 

• Covered entities: Include health plans, healthcare providers, and healthcare clearinghouses.
• Business associates: External vendors or service providers, like software developers (like logicalapex.com/), who process PHI on behalf of a covered entity.