What HIPAA actually asks of an app
If your app creates, stores, or transmits protected health information (PHI), HIPAA's Security Rule applies. In practical terms that means safeguards around access, encryption, audit logging, and how data is stored and transmitted — plus the paperwork, like Business Associate Agreements with vendors who touch that data.
The technical safeguards are concrete and buildable. We design the app so PHI is protected in transit and at rest, access is controlled and logged, and data is minimized to only what the app truly needs.
- Encryption of PHI in transit and at rest
- Access controls so users see only the data they're permitted to
- Audit logging of who accessed or changed what, and when
- Automatic logoff and session protection on shared devices
- Data minimization — collect and keep only what's necessary
- Secure authentication appropriate to a health context
Infrastructure and vendors that fit HIPAA
Compliance isn't only your code — it extends to where the app runs and which services it uses. Cloud providers and third-party services that handle PHI need to support HIPAA and sign a Business Associate Agreement. Using a service that won't sign a BAA for PHI is a common and serious mistake.
We build on infrastructure that supports HIPAA-eligible configurations and help you keep PHI away from any service that isn't set up to handle it, so your compliance posture holds together end to end.
- Hosting on HIPAA-eligible cloud configurations
- Using only services that will sign a BAA for PHI
- Keeping PHI out of analytics or tools not cleared to hold it
- Encrypted, access-controlled storage for health data
- Clear boundaries around where PHI can and cannot flow
Honest scope: software vs. certification
We build HIPAA-conscious software: the technical safeguards, the secure infrastructure, and the audit capabilities. What we don't do is act as your compliance officer or legal counsel, and there is no government 'HIPAA certification' that a build earns — compliance is an ongoing organizational responsibility, not a one-time stamp.
We'll build to the requirements, support your compliance and legal advisors, and be clear about the line between engineering and legal obligation. Start with a free consultation to map what data your app handles and what that implies.
- Technical safeguards built to HIPAA's Security Rule
- Support for your compliance and legal advisors' requirements
- Documentation useful for your own risk assessments
- Honest framing — no false 'certified compliant' claims
- Cost driven by data sensitivity, integrations, and infrastructure needs
More on app development
Frequently asked questions
Does my health app actually need to be HIPAA compliant?
It depends on whether it handles protected health information on behalf of a covered entity like a provider or health plan. A general wellness app with no PHI and no connection to a covered entity may fall outside HIPAA, while a patient-facing clinical tool almost certainly falls inside it. We help you understand which side you're on, and your legal advisor makes the final call.
Can you make my app HIPAA certified?
There is no official HIPAA certification to earn — compliance is an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time stamp, and anyone promising 'certified compliant' is overselling. What we deliver is software built to HIPAA's technical safeguards on HIPAA-eligible infrastructure, plus support for your compliance advisors. The compliance determination itself is a legal one.
Can we use services like standard analytics or cloud storage?
Only ones set up to handle PHI. Any service that touches protected health information needs to support HIPAA and sign a Business Associate Agreement. A frequent mistake is dropping PHI into general analytics or storage that never signed a BAA. We architect so PHI only flows to services cleared to hold it.