Guide to HIPAA-Compliant Application Development

All the features in the world don’t mean a thing if an app cannot securely protect the data it contains. Data security is crucial. Your number one priority when hiring a software development company to build an app for your medical office is, “Can they build a HIPAA compliant app?”

HIPAA means Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is a set of rules from the government that mandates all software to have privacy and security protocols to safeguard users from malicious hackers and other cyber threats. Integrating HIPAA-compliant protocols in your app helps assure patients of secured transactions and protected medical records. The healthcare app development sector takes regulations in HIPAA seriously.

Abiding with the HIPAA regulations ensures that you have a future-proof app that can withstand attacks from malware and hackers who want to steal your identity and data. Ignoring HIPAA rules means costly fines, so adding extra layers of protection to your app can save you money in the long run.

Here’s how software developers ensure that your app is HIPAA-compliant.

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Adding Authentication Control on Logins

One of the fundamental rules is to provide strong login authentication to the app. You can do this via a strategic login mechanism, layers of verification, and the app closing after a stagnant time. Identifying and assigning roles to users can help filter the most meaningful information for each group of people. Assigning roles can also help in defining what information only they can access.

Adding verification for login ensures that you are keeping hackers out. You can integrate other logging methods, such as face recognition, fingerprinting, or voice recognition.

Encryption of User Data

HIPAA mandates that all Personal Health Information (PHI) from the users must be secured. You can do this via encryption. The system should digitally convert vital documents that contain medical data into protected files. Encrypting ensures that they cannot be tampered with or hacked when transferring files between gateways.

Identifying and Tracking User Actions

Each user will have a dedicated control code that serves as a tracker while navigating through the app. This tracker allows the administrator to monitor user activities in the app and provide warning signals when an unusual or unacceptable act happens.

Adding BlockChain Technology to Resist Hackers

Blockchain technology is not just for digital money; another use is securing the file transfers of documents in apps. Blockchain helps decentralize the file source, making it difficult for hackers to attack the file. This technology is useful when transporting data from one app to another.

Also, blockchain technology helps stop intruders trying to log in suspiciously. With the numerous benefits of blockchain, it is the best choice for tightening the security of users’ Personal Health Information (PHI).

Using HTTPS Technology

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) provides a safer base for coding your features. Using HTTPS in building your app provides a foundation for encrypting all integrated data. Building from an HTTPS platform enables integrating other technologies that keep data private.

Nowadays, having an HTTPS-based mobile app is a requirement. Search engines flag apps that are not using HTTPS technology.

Cleaning the Main Data Storage Regularly

Keeping the primary data storage light will help maintain the app’s speed and performance. It is best to refrain from caching as this bulks the data storage.

You can opt for cloud space that features enterprise size and has a dedicated server for your project. You can then filter and save only essential files in the central memory. Cleaning the main data storage also enables your app to work on the periphery by accommodating users’ inquiries and replying with immediate answers based on local computing.

Only significant data and summaries of transactions are transmitted to the main memory. In this way, your app saves a lot of data space.

Refraining from Push Notifications

Note that you may compromise the data by adding the push notification feature; because of this, keeping the files within the app works best. Should the user need to transfer files, encryption and blockchain technology will safeguard all data.

Having a Backup Copy of all Patient Data

Software developers regularly save a copy of app data to ensure that your data is intact even though problems arise on the server. Having a backup copy of your app data gives you a second chance to rebuild your software should the main server crash. 

Healthcare app developers also allow users to delete all their data should a problem occur, such as a smartphone loss or security threat.

Stating and Implementing Privacy Policy

Software developers give users a privacy policy document that explains how the administrator stores and processes their data. This is a thorough statement on the security protocols implemented in the app.

A privacy policy document also includes the actions and behaviors that users should conduct while using the app and clarifies the users’ responsibilities while navigating the software.

Ways in Which Software Developers Can Ensure That Your App Is HIPAA-Compliant

• Using encryption throughout every operation in the app, all user interaction and documentation stages will undergo encryption to ensure that the entire app is protected.
• Soon, HTTPS technology will be the requirement for all apps. You get ahead of the game by using it as the foundation of your apps today.
• Maintaining your app’s condition also means regularly conducting tests to see which phases need improvements and to detect any slow down in the app’s performance.
• Expect more regulations from the government as officials try to provide fair and equal access to digital health services to the public. Design your app so that it is easily accessible to everyone.
• Your healthcare app needs to be friendly and welcoming to a diverse population, including regional and cultural differences.
• Provide a more personalized user profile and specialized interfaces for each target market segment to foster community integration. 

Promising developments in healthcare app technology such as sensors, face recognition, Camera Vision, and teleconsultation are paving the way for a more integrated health system in the country. These new features will help doctors and hospital administrators to collaborate seamlessly and deliver faster health services to the people.

If you are interested in building a healthcare app for your office or hospital, contact Digital Authority Partners today. We will guide you through all the developmental stages and help you choose the plan that works best for you.

Building an app may take months, depending on the complexity of features and the type of technology integrated into the software. Nevertheless, having a custom healthcare app is still the best way to centralize all operations in your hospital or clinic.