There are a lot of talks these days about HIPAA compliance and software. Can software be HIPAA compliant? In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at HIPAA compliance and what it means for your software. So, if you’re curious, read on! We’ve got all the answers you need.
HIPAA Compliance Overview
HIPAA Compliance is a set of rules and regulations regarding how healthcare information must be handled. So, HIPAA is designed to protect the security of healthcare data. It helps reduce the chances that people can access someone else’s sensitive medical files inappropriately.
Can Software Be HIPAA Compliant? Yes! The software can be HIPAA compliant! However, this comes with a few caveats.
First, you’ll need to make sure your software is safe and secure. Second, you’ll need to choose a hosting provider that’s HIPAA compliant. Finally, you’ll need to check that your software provider is HIPAA compliant with your healthcare organization.
Why Can’t You Just Say “Software Is Compliant”?
The reason why we can’t say “software is HIPAA compliant” is that complying with HIPAA regulations is partially about the software that you use. However, it’s also about how you use it and who uses it. So by saying “software is compliant”, it’s not very clear what we’re referring to as “the software”.
In addition to that, software changes over time. So what if there was new data added to the application? This might make the software non-compliant with the newest regulations in a very subtle way. So how can we decide whether this change makes it non-compliant or not?
And what if some parts of the code are compliant and some parts aren’t? Also, what if some parts of the code are compliant for one user but not for another?
Is Your Hosting Provider HIPAA Compliant?
If your hosting provider isn’t HIPAA compliant then there’s no point in having any more discussions about whether your software itself is compliant or not! This is even if you have an app that’s designed specifically for healthcare use cases and is 100% HIPAA compliant. If your hosting provider isn’t compliant then any sensitive data that you store on their servers will be at risk.
So, the first thing you need to do is make sure that your hosting provider is HIPAA compliant. You can do this by checking if they have signed a Business Associates Agreement (BAA) with your healthcare organization. This ensures that they’re taking all the necessary precautions to ensure that your data stays secure.
What Else Should I Look Out For When Selecting Software?
When selecting the software for use in healthcare environments, there are a few other things to look out for. First and foremost, don’t forget to evaluate different options before making a decision! Don’t just go with the first package you find, because chances are there will be others out there that meet your needs better.
Also, if someone says they can provide an application that meets all of your needs when it comes to HIPAA compliance and security, then this might not be true! There are certain security checks which go beyond what most applications offer as standard functionality. So make sure to ask about these before making a decision.
