Is your healthcare website putting patient data at risk? Healthcare websites and HIPAA compliance go hand in hand. If your site collects information through forms, appointment bookings, or live chat, it must meet strict HIPAA standards to avoid legal issues and protect patient trust.
HIPAA outlines strict rules for how websites handle sensitive health data. Violating these rules can lead to penalties, reputation damage, and loss of patient confidence.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to ensure your website is HIPAA-compliant, including:
- What HIPAA means for your website and why it matters
- The specific features and tools that must meet HIPAA standards
- The most common compliance mistakes and how to avoid them
- A practical, step-by-step process to achieve HIPAA compliance
- A final checklist you can use to assess your current site
But first, let’s have a look at how OPTASY helped a large healthcare provider create a HIPAA-compliant website.
How OPTASY Helped DentaQuest Achieve HIPAA-Compliant Web Excellence
OPTASY partnered with DentaQuest, the largest dental benefits provider in the U.S., to enhance its Drupal-based portal with a focus on HIPAA compliance, security, and user experience.
By developing custom modules for secure eligibility checks and messaging, implementing robust access controls, and ensuring encrypted data transmission, OPTASY helped DentaQuest protect sensitive health data while improving efficiency for members, clients, and dentists.
The result was a faster, safer, and more user-friendly portal aligned with HIPAA standards.
Want to see how we did it? Read the full case study here.
What Is HIPAA and Why Does It Matter for Websites?
HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It’s a U.S. federal law passed in 1996 to protect the privacy and security of medical information.
While HIPAA began with health insurance rules, it now shapes how patient data is handled, especially online.
If you run a healthcare website, HIPAA matters. It sets clear rules for how you collect, store, access, and share protected health information (PHI). You must follow these rules to stay compliant and protect patient privacy.
In Canada, the equivalent of HIPAA is the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
While HIPAA focuses specifically on health information, PIPEDA governs the collection, use, and disclosure of all types of personal information in commercial activities, including health data.
What Is PHI?
PHI stands for protected health information. It includes any health data that can identify a person. This applies whether the information is digital, spoken, or written.
On a website, PHI can include a patient’s name, email, medical history, or appointment details. It also covers any data linked to their health or treatment.
Even a basic inquiry form asking about symptoms or insurance can count as PHI.
Who Must Comply With HIPAA?
HIPAA compliance is mandatory for two main groups:
- Covered entities – Healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses that manage patient data.
- Business associates – Vendors, contractors, or service providers that handle PHI on behalf of a covered entity. This includes web developers, hosting companies, CRM platforms, and even email services if they process patient data.
If your business or any of your service providers interact with PHI through your website, you are required to comply with HIPAA and sign Business Associate Agreements with all third parties involved.
Common Website Scenarios That Involve PHI
You might collect PHI without realizing it. Here are a few common scenarios:
- Virtual care sessions
- Live chat that includes medical conversations
- Portals with access to health records
- Newsletters linked to treatment plans
- Analytics tools tracking user behavior
According to the HIPAA Journal, there were 725 healthcare data breaches reported in 2023, impacting over 133 million individuals. Many of these breaches stemmed from insecure digital entry points, such as improperly secured websites and web apps.
This makes it critical to examine how your website interacts with patient data—and to implement safeguards before a breach occurs.
Healthcare Websites and HIPAA Compliance Requirements
Not all websites follow the same rules, especially in healthcare.
To meet HIPAA standards, your site must do more than look polished. It needs to be secure, tightly controlled, and backed by proper agreements.
Below are the key requirements for HIPAA compliance in the digital healthcare industry.
Secure Transmission of PHI (SSL Certificates, HTTPS)
HIPAA requires encryption for all protected health information. Your site must have a valid SSL certificate and run over HTTPS. This ensures that all user data stays encrypted during transmission. Without it, even a simple contact form could expose sensitive information.
Access Controls (User Authentication, Password Protection)
Only authorized users should access PHI on your site. Use role-based access, strong passwords, and ideally, multi-factor authentication. These steps help block unauthorized access, especially in admin panels, portals, and any system linked to PHI.
Audit Controls (Activity Tracking and Logs)
Your healthcare website must track and log access to PHI to detect unauthorized activity. HIPAA requires that audit controls are in place to monitor user interactions with sensitive data. This includes logging who accessed what, when, and from where—allowing you to detect breaches early and maintain accountability.
Data Integrity (Protection Against Unauthorized Alteration)
The integrity of PHI must be preserved at all times. That means implementing safeguards that prevent unauthorized changes to stored or transmitted data. Websites must be built to ensure that PHI remains complete, accurate, and protected against both internal errors and external tampering during data handling or backups.
Automatic Logoff and Session Timeouts
Prolonged sessions can lead to data exposure. HIPAA recommends automatic logoff mechanisms and inactivity timeouts, especially for patient portals and admin areas. This helps prevent unauthorized users from accessing PHI if someone forgets to log out or leaves their device unattended while logged in.
Encryption at Rest and in Transit
It’s not enough to encrypt data only when it’s being transmitted. PHI must also be encrypted at rest, meaning wherever it is stored, whether in a database, server, or backup file. Full encryption both in transit (e.g., SSL) and at rest (e.g., database-level encryption) provides a dual layer of protection.
Business Associate Agreements with Vendors
Any third party with access to PHI must sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). This includes your web host, CRM, analytics, or other tools connected to your site. Without a BAA, even secure vendors can't legally manage PHI on your behalf.
HIPAA Compliance Mistakes to Avoid
Even well-intentioned healthcare websites can fall out of compliance by overlooking small but critical details.
Here are four common and costly mistakes:
1. Using Unencrypted Forms to Collect Patient Information
Forms that collect names, symptoms, insurance details, or contact info must be encrypted. Yet, many sites still use default form builders that don’t offer HTTPS or end-to-end encryption.
According to the HIPAA Journal, 79,7% of data breaches involve hacking or IT incidents, often through unsecured digital entry points like web forms.
2. Embedding Third-Party Tools Without a BAA
Live chats, analytics tools, or CRMs often collect PHI but if you haven’t signed a Business Associate Agreement with the vendor, you’re not compliant. Even Google Analytics may require caution, as it can track user behavior tied to health services.
3. Sending Appointment Reminders via Unsecured Email
Emails that include PHI, like dates, locations, or health concerns, must be encrypted. Standard email platforms are rarely HIPAA-compliant out of the box.
4. Assuming Website Builders or Hosts Are Automatically HIPAA-Compliant
Just because you use a reputable website platform doesn’t mean it meets HIPAA standards. Most hosts do not offer BAAs by default. Always verify and get the documentation.
How to Make Your Website HIPAA-Compliant
HIPAA compliance requires intentional planning, proper tools, and clear procedures.
The good news? With the right steps, healthcare businesses can confidently secure their websites, protect patient data, and avoid costly penalties.
Below is a practical, 8-step process to help you get there.
1. Conduct a HIPAA Risk Assessment
Begin by mapping where your website collects, stores, and transmits PHI. Review all forms, plugins, hosting services, and third-party tools.
A risk assessment shows where you're vulnerable and helps you prioritize fixes. It’s also a legal requirement under HIPAA’s Security Rule.
Here are some key questions to answer:
- What data are we collecting?
- Who has access to it?
- How is it protected at every step?
Once you answer these questions, you’ll know what needs securing and where to start.
2. Secure Data Collection Points
Any place where users enter PHI, like contact forms, appointment requests, or live chat, must be secure. Use SSL/TLS certificates to protect your entire site with HTTPS.
Choose form builders that offer HIPAA-compliant encryption.
Collect only what you need. The more data you gather, the more you must protect and the greater the risk if a breach happens.
3. Choose a HIPAA-Compliant Hosting Provider
Your web host must meet HIPAA security requirements, including physical and digital safeguards, redundant backups, and access controls. Just as important, they must be willing to sign a Business Associate Agreement with you.
Without a BAA, even the most secure hosting provider can't legally store PHI on your behalf. Look for providers who specialize in HIPAA-compliant hosting and have clear documentation of their safeguards.
4. Control Access and Permissions
Restrict access to PHI using role-based permissions. Only give access to team members who absolutely need it. Set up strong passwords and require two-factor authentication (2FA) to prevent unauthorized access.
Implement automatic session timeouts to reduce the risk of data exposure if someone walks away from a logged-in device. These measures are small but critical for long-term compliance.
5. Log and Monitor User Activity
HIPAA requires you to track who accesses PHI and when. Install logging systems that monitor user activity—especially changes to patient data, admin access, and login attempts.
Regularly review logs for suspicious behavior, such as repeated failed login attempts or unexpected data exports. These logs are essential in case of an audit or investigation and can help detect issues early.
6. Encrypt All PHI
HIPAA mandates encryption in transit and at rest. This means any PHI being sent (e.g., through forms or emails) or stored (e.g., in a database or file system) must be protected using modern encryption standards.
Use end-to-end encryption for all data transactions, especially when working with forms, portals, or email services. Make sure stored data is encrypted using secure protocols like AES-256.
7. Sign BAAs with All Third-Party Vendors
If any vendor you use handles PHI, you must have a signed BAA in place. This includes:
- CRMs
- Email marketing platforms
- Live chat tools
- Analytics providers
- Cloud storage services
Many tools that are great for general business use aren’t suitable for healthcare unless they provide HIPAA compliance and are willing to sign a BAA. Always verify before integrating.
8. Train Your Team
Even the most secure website can fail due to human error. That’s why HIPAA training is essential for anyone who handles patient data, employees or contractors.
Training should cover:
- How to recognize PHI
- How to follow secure workflows
- How to spot phishing and social engineering
- What to do if a breach happens
Keep records of all training sessions as part of your compliance documentation.
Final Tip: Healthcare websites and HIPAA compliance should always go hand in hand. Schedule regular audits, track regulatory changes, and build a team culture that values privacy and accountability.
If all this sounds overwhelming and complicated, you can take the shortcut. Contact OPTASY today to get expert help from a team that understands both the technical and regulatory sides of HIPAA compliance.
We’ll make sure your website is secure, efficient, and fully aligned with healthcare standards, so you can focus on what matters most: your patients.
