{"id":34559,"date":"2023-01-30T05:44:11","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T05:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/?p=34559"},"modified":"2026-01-01T06:12:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T06:12:30","slug":"build-a-hipaa-compliant-mobile-app-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/blog\/build-a-hipaa-compliant-mobile-app-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Hoe bouw je een mobiele applicatie die voldoet aan HIPAA in 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"34559\" class=\"elementor elementor-34559\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ae10dfb elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ae10dfb\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-33da3ec\" data-id=\"33da3ec\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3384ef5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3384ef5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is only one rule that governs the era we live in today &#8211; data is gold. The industry that deals with users&#8217; data (sensitive or not) is bound to have some compliances in place to safeguard it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this mobile-first era, healthcare is also not exempt from strict compliance regulations designed to prevent users&#8217; data from being misused.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many compliances across nations, but HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is universal on many grounds.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure your app meets all the requirements of HIPAA compliance by learning<\/span><b> how to develop a HIPAA-compliant app<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<br><br><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is the HIPAA act?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">De <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/phlp\/publications\/topic\/hipaa.html\">HIPAA Act<\/a> ensures patient data is handled and stored securely, especially on a software platform. In addition, billing and healthcare insurance coverage information is shared for medical patients.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA compliance for mobile apps was developed in 1996 to protect patients&#8217; data, lower healthcare costs, and provide health insurance coverage to people who lost or changed their jobs. Our concern as developers and yours as app entrepreneurs is the requirement that the app protects users against data theft.<br><br><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Do You Have a HIPAA-Compliant App in Development?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regulations governing the lawful use and maintenance of protected health information (PHI) were enacted in 1996 under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). A patient&#8217;s PHI is any demographic information that can be used to identify the patient. For healthcare organizations to ensure the privacy and security of PHI, HIPAA regulation should be implemented through a culture of compliance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under HIPAA, healthcare providers are not the only covered entities required to comply with the law. Business associates are also identified in the regulation. Any organization providing services related to PHI to another HIPAA-governed entity is a business associate. To name a few, this includes organizations that provide IT services, IT infrastructure, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/ontwikkelbedrijf-voor-mobiele-apps\/\">mobiele app-ontwikkeling<\/a>, and web portal development. Under HIPAA regulation, any information shared with a business associate-including healthcare apps that maintain ePHI-must be accompanied by a business associate agreement (BAA).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As part of a proper HIPAA compliance program, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/diensten-voor-ontwikkeling-van-software-voor-de-gezondheidszorg\/\">ontwikkeling van software voor de gezondheidszorg<\/a> apps must also adhere to the Seven Fundamental Elements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA-compliant apps must comply with the Seven Fundamental Elements of an Effective Compliance Program to meet HIPAA privacy and security standards. There are seven elements in the Seven Elements:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developing and implementing written policies, procedures, and standards of conduct<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing a compliance officer and a compliance committee<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Providing effective training and education<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing effective communication channels<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Auditing and monitoring internal processes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Providing well-publicized disciplinary guidelines to enforce standards<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking corrective action when offenses are detected and responding promptly<br><br><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b>HIPAA: An Overview<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of protected health information, the HIPAA Security Rule sets specific standards. The following three HIPAA security safeguards must be implemented by <\/span><b>HIPAA compliant apps<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to protect ePHI:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A technical safeguard involves cybersecurity and network infrastructure, such as firewalls, encryption, and malware prevention.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A physical safeguard is anything that limits access to ePHI maintained or housed on a physical site, such as locks or alarms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ensure that security standards are properly followed throughout the organization, administrative safeguards entail policies, procedures, documentation, and staff training.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technical and physical safeguards are essential components of a HIPAA-compliant app and must be considered throughout the process of development.<br><br><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Getting Your App HIPAA Compliant!<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter whether you run a healthcare practice or develop a HIPAA compliant app, you must comply with these standards to ensure sensi<\/span>tive information is protected.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: inherit;\"><b>1.&nbsp;<\/b><\/span><b style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 28px; color: inherit;\">Safeguards on a technical level<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technical security safeguards under HIPAA include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Control of access<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A proper implementation of access controls allows only authorized individuals to access ePHI, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User identification &#8211; Software systems must provide unique identifiers so that each user has his or her own login credentials. Additionally, employees should not use the same username or password for multiple accounts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Procedures for emergency access to ePHI- During an emergency, access to ePHI should be possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a specified amount of time, the system must automatically log the user out of their session.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EPHI must be encrypted and decrypted before it is stored on an app or software system.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Controls for audits<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA-compliant apps must include hardware, software, or procedural mechanisms to examine and track ePHI activity.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Integrity<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There must be mechanisms in place to protect the integrity of the ePHI within the HIPAA compliant app to prevent it from being unintentionally modified or corrupted. HIPAA regulation defines integrity as guaranteeing that the information being accessed is not damaged, lost, or altered in any way.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Authentication of persons&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The purpose of this step is to confirm that the person logging onto the system or app is who they claim to be.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Security of transmission<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to ensure that ePHI transmitted over the internet or any communication network is not altered, all data must be encrypted and specific mechanisms must be implemented to ensure that all data is encrypted.<br><br><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"><b>2.<\/b>&nbsp;<\/span><b style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Safeguards on a physical level<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To protect ePHI that can potentially be accessed, healthcare organizations and IT providers need physical safeguards. HIPAA&#8217;s physical security safeguards include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Control of facility access<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By using these, the access to the facility where ePHI is stored will be physically restricted, allowing only those with authorization to access it. Furthermore, implementing facility access control policies and procedures will prevent unauthorized access to hardware.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Use of workstations<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Devices used as workstations, such as laptops, smart phones, tablets, etc., must be logged off before leaving the area unattended. Devices that leave the premises should have the necessary technical safeguards in place, including antivirus software that is up-to-date.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Security for workstations<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The monitor of a computer should not be visible to anyone other than the employee using it. Screensavers must be password-protected on all systems.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h5 style=\"\"><b>Controls for devices and media&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whenever software containing PHI is disposed of, all data should be wiped to remove any sensitive information. Any healthcare data on a HIPAA compliant app must be deleted.<br><br><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"><b>3.&nbsp;<\/b><\/span><b style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Safeguards in the administrative process<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To protect electronic health information, these safeguards develop, implement, and maintain security measures.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When developing HIPAA-compliant apps, Information Access Management is crucial to ensuring only relevant ePHI is accessible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual user should only be able to access ePHI relevant to his or her job function, and not other ePHI for a particular patient.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ePHI security policies should be regularly communicated to employees through regular training.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is imperative to implement a contingency plan to notify affected parties in the event of a breach.<br><br><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>How do I build a HIPAA-compliant mobile app?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process of developing HIPAA-compliant applications is different from the process of developing any other type of application. It must be developed with precision and in accordance with the guidelines and rules.<br><br><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The features of a HIPAA-compliant application<\/b><\/h3>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><b>The feature<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The description<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><b>Identification of the user<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA compliance cannot be achieved by allowing users to log in using their email address. Passwords and PINs can be used for user authentication. Moreover, it can be a smart key, a smart card, or a biometric identification system. If you are planning to build your own app, keep this aspect in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><b>Emergency access<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Utility services and essential services can be disrupted during times of emergency. Under all circumstances, data access must be maintained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure there is a way around it. During a natural disaster or when there is no electricity. It&#8217;s not a direct requirement for HIPAA compliance, but it&#8217;s a necessary feature for healthcare apps.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><b>The encryption process<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encryption of data is always necessary in applications for healthcare. Emails are not encrypted, so sharing information via them is not allowed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A state of rest (meaning the data is not shared). Encryption is required regardless of whether it is stored on a cloud server or a SaaS service.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><b>Encryption of data in transit<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use cloud computing services such as Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud. During transmission, these services encrypt data. These technical safeguards have been established by the Department of Health and Human Services.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All encryption, authentication, and identification specifications are addressed by these safeguards. When developing HIPAA-compliant mobile apps, they should be installed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encryption with TLS should be put in place end-to-end. Inbound or outbound packets must be encrypted with TLS. Adding AES encryption will further strengthen this.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b><br>What is the cost of building a HIPAA-compliant application?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As well as the question of how to make an app for hospitals, there is a question of cost. In order to <\/span><b>develop a HIPAA-compliant mobile app<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, several factors must be taken into consideration:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An organization&#8217;s size and type<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The application&#8217;s complexity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of roles assigned to each user. Among these are hospital roles, administrator roles, doctor roles, and patient roles.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must therefore understand the main values you&#8217;ll provide to create an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.railscarma.com\/mvp-development\/\">MVP<\/a> and build a <\/span><b>HIPAA compliance application<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Making a budget-wise project plan is easier when you focus on core features.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on the executors, the <a href=\"https:\/\/qatar.carmatec.com\/blog\/how-much-does-it-cost-to-create-an-app\/\">cost of mobile app development<\/a> will vary. Nevertheless, the common development team knows how to create apps. However, finding a team with expertise in HIPAA compliance app development is a challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Several options are available to you. There are benefits and drawbacks to each of them:<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An agency in your area. Depending on the service, the cost may range from $100 to $250 per hour. So let&#8217;s say the average price per month is $64,000. You can test business hypotheses with this method if your budget is unlimited.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An in-house team. For startup founders, it is the most reliable option. A monthly fee of up to $25,000 is charged. The lack of business analysis, project management, and development expertise are some of the risks associated with building a team from scratch.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The freelancers. There is no better way to do it. It will cost up to $13,000 per month on average. In spite of this, there are plenty of risks involved: spending of own resources, lack of expertise, and unreliable collaboration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Development outsourcing. The cooperation is both reliable and of high quality. The monthly cost will be up to $19,000. There are, however, many countries to choose from. In spite of this, there are many teams with expertise and experience to begin developing HIPAA compliance apps.<br><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusie<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA compliance rules and regulations carry heavy penalties for noncompliance. Depending on the size of the breach, it can range from $1,000 to $1.5 million per year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implementing precise BAAs, conducting third-party audits, and developing proactive applications. The development of HIPAA-compliant apps isn&#8217;t as easy as it sounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several factors play a role in this process. Developing a mobile app requires all these procedures and processes, whether you are a developer or a vendor. It is imperative to get and store information in accordance with HIPAA regulations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why you need to retrieve only the information that is needed and that can be secured. Building HIPAA-compliant apps is only possible after obtaining all the necessary information.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is only one rule that governs the era we live in today &#8211; data is gold. The industry that deals with users&#8217; data (sensitive or not) is bound to have some compliances in place to safeguard it. In this mobile-first era, healthcare is also not exempt from strict compliance regulations designed to prevent users&#8217; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":34567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-mobile-app-development"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carmatec.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}