A hippa compliant website begins with a basic understanding of what exactly is HIPAA. Anyone who comes in contact with confidential health information (HIP) from a patient’s doctor, hospital, or other medical care provider has a responsibility to protect that information and appropriately share it with others. HIPAA regulations and guidelines were enacted in 1996 as a way to help keep private health information confidential. Businesses and organizations now use HIPAA guidelines when creating and operating websites to ensure their clients can keep their information private and secure. For those who wish to understand how to create a HIPAA Compliance website, there are some key points to consider and remember.

Business or organization being in full compliance with the Security Rule

HIPAA compliance refers to a business or organization being in full compliance with the Security Rule, which regulates how personal health information is protected and shared. The most significant part of being HIPAA compliant is that an organization is required to perform a risk analysis to determine how vulnerable personal healthcare information is to unauthorized use, recovery, and disclosure. As HIPAA guidelines state: “An organization must take steps to reasonably accommodate potential users and retain the ability to provide reasonable access, clarify, or explain information, and take precautions to protect the privacy of individuals who have access to the system.”

Various HIPAA regulations and guidelines

When developing or updating a website to become HIPAA-compliant one must adhere to the various HIPAA regulations and guidelines. Some HIPAA-compliant electronic forms require specific language, format, and design to comply with the Security Rule, whereas non-compliant electronic forms may utilize generic forms for data entry, contact, and scheduling information but may not be encrypted for private data entry. There are different standards for how to fill out forms for government agencies; therefore, your website must meet the regulations for each agency to make sure that the forms are filled out and will not hold up in any way when submitting data to the appropriate government departments.

Choose the right vendors to meet their specific needs

When a business or organization chooses to become a HIPAA-compliant organization, it must also choose the right vendors to meet their specific needs. When it comes to vendors, it is essential to understand who is responsible for your security if you choose to use one of the many available vendors. You should work with a HIPAA vendor who submits the forms to the government, and one who maintains the forms themselves.

Client’s privacy

Another aspect of becoming a HIPAA compliant organization is to ensure that all employees who handle the information for your clients are also HIPAA certified. Every employee needs to understand that their job entails ensuring that each client’s privacy is maintained. One of the first things to consider is whether your website will require online checkups. Although online checkups are not considered to be part of the HIPAA experience, it is always better to be safe than sorry and online checkups are certainly one of the most common.

The Security Rule

The Security Rule states that businesses and healthcare providers must include certain sections on their websites that discuss privacy. If the information that you are displaying on your site is considered sensitive, you may find that you will be assessed fines and even have to modify the content that you are providing. HIPAA compliant social media sites provide an opportunity for small businesses to ensure that their practices adhere to standards that are designed to promote security and privacy. By keeping these four areas in mind, you can be sure that your small business will be able to enjoy benefits that go beyond the simple opportunity to attract new patients and potential customers.