Protect Patient PHI with a HIPAA-Compliant Phone App

The Importance of Secure HIPAA-Compliant Apps

Each covered entity — any organization that provides treatment or handles PHI — must prepare to follow HIPAA guidelines and any updates to the HIPAA act. The law is very clear regarding responsibility for any organization using HIPAA-compliant websites and apps: It is the duty of each covered entity to put security measures in place to protect PHI in their care.

Failure to provide PHI data security can lead to three very undesirable outcomes:

• Steep fines may be levied by the OCR (Office of Civil Rights), the government entity that enforces HIPAA compliance guidelines.
• The US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) requests proof that a covered entity follows HIPAA standards.
• A covered entity's reputation can suffer among both patients and colleagues.

Attacks on HIPAA-compliant mobile apps and websites are constantly evolving as medical information becomes more valuable on the black market. A website that was HIPAA compliant a few years ago (or even months ago) could have significant security vulnerabilities today. One of the best ways to keep up to date with the latest security is to put the PHI behind a web portal on a HIPAA-compliant eCommerce platform. Doing so can also aggregate all information you need to access — patient records, scheduling, employee HR needs, and partner data — in one place.

Mobile App HIPAA Compliance Guidelines

HIPAA-compliant applications used on mobile phones and other devices must be as secure as the website they are connected to (and the HIPAA-compliant hosting associated with the website). With mobile phones taking over as the primary means of accessing the web, a HIPAA eCommerce platform must be designed to include portals that work well on phones as well as they do on desktops and laptops. Security can never be compromised.

A breach of a HIPAA-compliant mobile app is just as serious as one that affects the website. Portal beaches can happen via brute force attacks (bots) or black hat hackers (humans) trying to gain access to the underlying information. HIPAA app compliance guidelines stipulate that the PHI exchanged with a client must be protected at every stage, with SSL during transfer and stringent security measures when the information is at rest.

HIPAA Compliant Messaging Apps and Phone Apps

How will you be exchanging information with your clients? Let's talk about the choices you'll have with HIPAA-compliant apps:

• Web portal — This is a common option where the messaging app is tied to a HIPAA-compliant website web portal. The messaging center will be part of a much larger information portal, including health records and scheduling.
• Texting app — This is a type of encrypted instant messaging app that works on its own without requiring a connection to a HIPAA-compliant patient portal. It's not technically texting because it isn't limited to 160 characters like a standard text.
• Video / voice — The best medical apps for patients must make video and voice messaging as secure as instant messaging because it often contains the same security information as data that is typed in. Security measures must protect live video and voice as well as video and voice that are left as messages.

A common option is to create HIPAA mobile apps at the same time as the website. It's an excellent way to bring everything together and ensure HIPAA security best practices at the same time.

What a HIPAA-Compliant Texting App Needs

A HIPAA-compliant phone app requires a robust set of special features to ensure the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These features encompass various aspects of data protection, user access control, encryption, auditing, and patient communication security.

The Best Security Available

A HIPAA-compliant app should have robust security measures in place to safeguard against potential vulnerabilities and threats. Regular security assessments, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and address any weaknesses in the app's infrastructure.

Incorporated Consent Form

A strong privacy policy and informed consent mechanism should be incorporated into the app. Users should be informed about the app's data collection practices, the purposes for which their data is used, and their rights regarding their PHI.

Robust User Authentication

Strong user authentication is crucial. The app should implement secure login methods, such as two-factor authentication or biometric authentication, to ensure that only authorized individuals can access PHI. Additionally, the app should incorporate role-based access controls, granting different levels of permissions to users based on their roles within healthcare organizations.

End-to-End Encryption

To protect PHI during transmission, HIPAA-compliant messaging software must employ end-to-end encryption. This ensures that data exchanged between the app and the server is encrypted and cannot be intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties. Encryption protocols like Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) should be implemented to establish secure patient communication channels.

Storage Encryption

All PHI stored on the mobile device or server should be encrypted using strong encryption algorithms to prevent unauthorized access in case of device loss, theft, or hacking attempts. Encryption keys should be securely managed to avoid unauthorized decryption of sensitive data. You should carefully research your HIPAA cloud storage options before moving forward.

Audit Logs

Comprehensive audit logging is essential for HIPAA compliance. The app should record and store logs of user activities, such as logins, data accesses, and modifications, to facilitate monitoring and tracking of PHI access. These logs help in detecting any suspicious or unauthorized activities and provide a means for forensic analysis if a security breach occurs.

Data Retention and Disposal

HIPAA compliance also requires strict adherence to data retention and disposal policies. The app should have mechanisms in place to securely delete or de-identify PHI when it is no longer needed, ensuring that residual data cannot be recovered.

Keep HIPAA Apps and Websites Up To Date

One of the most important parts of having a HIPAA-compliant texting app is making sure that it, as well as everything linked to it, has the most up-to-date security available. Malicious botnet and hacker attacks are constantly changing. These attacks happen all day, every day, and they never stop. Just when someone finds a solution to protect against one bot, another shows up with fresh ways to attack your website.

When you are looking for a PHI data security platform to stay within HIPAA compliance, make sure it starts with robust protection and continues to provide security updates. Pentests should be run daily or weekly to make sure you're protected against the latest attacks on your HIPAA-protected software.

We’ll Create Your HIPAA Compliant App

Clarity Ventures has created hundreds of HIPAA-compliant websites and apps that adhere to the latest security measures. No matter what platform you're using—whether you need DNN, Megento, WordPress HIPAA, or any other platform you might be using—efficiency and security will be drastically increased.

We know that it's not just money at stake; it's your reputation. During healthcare mobile app development, we take security seriously when we create HIPAA apps and the portals they interact with. We're ready to show you what we can do to protect all PHI in your care.