What HIPAA asks of your software
HIPAA compliance is often misunderstood as a checkbox or a certificate you buy. It isn't. For custom software, it's a set of safeguards over protected health information (PHI): controlling who can access it, protecting it in storage and transit, keeping records of access, and having agreements in place with everyone who touches the data.
There is no official government 'HIPAA certified' stamp for software. What matters is that the technical, administrative, and physical safeguards are genuinely in place and that you can demonstrate them.
- Access controls so only authorized users reach PHI
- Encryption of PHI in transit and at rest
- Audit logs recording access to and changes of PHI
- Automatic logoff and session controls
- Business Associate Agreements with vendors that handle PHI
- A minimum-necessary approach so users see only what they need
How we build for it
We design the application's security model up front rather than bolting it on later. That means authentication and role-based access from the start, encryption by default, audit logging built into how records are read and written, and hosting on infrastructure that will sign a Business Associate Agreement.
We build to meet HIPAA's technical safeguards and coordinate with your compliance team. We are not attorneys and don't issue legal compliance opinions; the administrative and physical safeguards on your side matter just as much as the code.
- Security model designed in from day one, not retrofitted
- Hosting on infrastructure that will sign a BAA
- Encryption and access control as defaults, not add-ons
- Audit logging wired into data access
- Documentation of safeguards to support your compliance work
More on custom business software
Frequently asked questions
Can you make our software 'HIPAA certified'?
There is no official HIPAA certification for software; anyone claiming to sell one is overstating it. What we can do is build software that implements HIPAA's required safeguards and give you documentation of them. Your overall compliance also depends on policies and training on your side.
Will you sign a Business Associate Agreement?
Where we handle PHI on your behalf, a BAA is appropriate and we'll enter one. We also make sure the hosting and third-party services in the stack are ones that will sign BAAs, since the chain has to hold end to end.
Does every part of our app need to be HIPAA-compliant?
The safeguards apply wherever PHI is stored, transmitted, or processed. A good design often isolates PHI so the strictest controls concentrate where the sensitive data actually lives, which is something we plan during scoping.