Statista suggests that during the third quarter of 2022, 15 million data records were exposed worldwide due to data breaches. Developing a HIPAA-compliant app is essential for businesses these days. This is exactly where a good HIPAA compliant chat API comes into play.
In this blog, we shall look at the following:
- Meaning of HIPAA compliance
- Different factors to take note of while choosing a HIPAA-compliant API
- Important features of a HIPAA-compliant messaging app API
Stay with us and read on.
What is HIPAA compliance?
HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is a USA federal law of 1996 that protects all sorts of health information against unauthorized usage. HIPAA compliance is a living culture that all health organizations need to implement within their business. It helps them protect the privacy and security of Protected Health Information (PHI).
HIPAA compliance is considered by any individual, healthcare organization, or cloud-hosted business defined as a covered entity as per HIPAA guidelines. Let’s have a look at the different entities that need to follow HIPAA compliance:
- Covered entities
Consist of healthcare organizations and providers including doctors, dentists, psychologists, nursing homes, and others. Healthcare plans also come under covered entities. For instance, corporations offering healthcare plans and health maintenance organizations. Healthcare clearinghouses that convert all PHI data into a digital format also come under covered entities.
- Business associates
Include accounting companies that access PHI for offering its services to the covered entities. Individual hospital consultants who conduct healthcare evaluations also come under business associates. Now, business entities don’t need to interact directly with the patients to offer their services to the covered entities. However, covered entities must implement a Business Associate Agreement to ensure that the business associates safeguard PHI.
- Hybrid organizations
This group includes organizations that have self-insured healthcare plans for their employees. In such organizations, only a part of the company comes under covered entities. Universities having medical centers or grocery stores including pharmacy sections also come under hybrid organizations.
Regulation standards under HIPAA compliance
- HIPAA includes administrative safeguards like policies directed towards the compliance activities that the entity needs to meet.
- The covered entities need to follow a written set of privacy procedures to implement relevant policies.
- All entities coming under HIPAA must ensure to carry out internal audits. This helps in the identification of potential security violations.
- Entities need to ensure the proper monitoring of equipment containing crucial health information.
- HIPAA rules also include technical safeguards like access control to computer systems and all electronically handled PHI.
- It is indispensable for covered entities to authenticate password and token systems.
- Under the HIPAA breach notification rule, covered entities and business associates must report PHI breaches to HHS.
Factors to consider while choosing a HIPAA-compliant messaging app API
A HIPAA-compliant telehealth messaging API helps you conduct secure communication. Here are some crucial factors that you need to consider:
- One-on-one and group texts
The HIPAA-compliant API should enable one-on-one text communication between patients and healthcare professionals. This helps in conducting smooth consultations. It should also ensure group communication for cross-clinical conversations.
- Chat history
Chat histories are an essential aspect of patient-doctor communication. Both parties have the full context of all the conversations conducted between them. They can have a look at all the past prescriptions and recommendations and ensure quality consultations. Hence, it is important to choose an API that supports chat history.
- Timely notifications
The API should also support notification features. With this, patients and doctors won’t miss essential texts concerning consultations. It would lead to transparent communication and boost healthcare activities.
- Media sharing
A HIPAA-compliant messaging app API should enable media sharing between patients and healthcare professionals. It should support sharing images, videos, and relevant healthcare documents. Media sharing helps entities to quicken healthcare processes and maximize patient satisfaction.
- App user status and typing indications
The application API should support user status display and text typing activity. This helps both the doctor and patient to know exactly when the other participant is online.
Factors to consider while choosing HIPAA-compliant audio & video app API
To conduct secured video interactions via your application, use a HIPAA-compliant app API. Here is a list of some must-have features:
- Live audio and video streaming
The API should have a live audio and video streaming feature. The functionality makes it easier to assess a patient’s health condition virtually.
- Video conferencing
The telemedicine messaging API should be able to conduct group video chats in real time. This would help patients get in touch with medical care groups and share their health assessment reports with them.
- Screen sharing
The screen-sharing functionality enables better collaborations among healthcare professionals, medical experts, and patients. Make sure that you choose a HIPAA-compliant API that allows for secured screen sharing during video interactions.
CONTUS MirroFly – The best HIPAA-compliant app API for you
CONTUS MirrorFly is the #1 self-hosted chat API solution. It helps you build secure healthcare messaging apps. It also allows you to connect over 1 million patients, doctors, and medical professionals through a single chat solution. MirrorFly is 100% enterprise-grade HIPAA compliant and secures PHI. It will completely safeguard you against data exposure. Here is a list of some unique features that you get with MirrorFly:
- 1-to-1 messaging
MirrorFly supports end-to-end encrypted and real-time communication between patients and doctors.
- Video calling
With a top-grade video calling functionality, MirrorFly enables you to conduct smoother doctor-patient communication. Doctors can virtually diagnose health symptoms and provide first aid remotely.
- Rich media sharing
MirrorFly’s API supports instant media-sharing functionalities. Patients and doctors can quickly exchange prescription images, test reports, scans, and surgical reports.
- Push notifications
With real-time notifications, MirrorFly helps you receive updates on every conversation within your app.
- Call recording
MirrorFly enables you to record, store, share, and retrieve all your voice and video calls.
To dig deep into the API, click here.
Wrapping up
We hope our article helped you gain a fair understanding of the factors that you need to consider for choosing a HIPAA-compliant messaging app API. So, wait no more. Take your step towards solidifying a secured communication application. We wish you good luck in all your future endeavors.
