How to Choose HIPAA Compliance Software

The best HIPAA compliance software gives a covered entity a structured way to meet HIPAA’s requirements: automated documentation, an ongoing risk management process, and a clear view of where the program stands.

In most organizations, responsibility for HIPAA compliance falls to an administrator, practice manager, or compliance officer who manages it alongside other responsibilities and without a formal background in healthcare regulation. For these individuals, the best HIPAA compliance software reduces the administrative burden, removes the need for deep compliance expertise, and lessens the likelihood of an expensive breach.

What Are The Benefits Of HIPAA Compliance Software?

The benefits of using HIPAA compliance software for an administrator or practice manager are as follows:

• Reduced Administrative Burden: HIPAA compliance software automates many administrative tasks related to compliance management, such as tracking training requirements, managing documentation, and maintaining an organization’s HIPAA Security Risk Analysis. This frees up time and reduces the administrative burden.
• Effective Risk Management: HIPAA compliance solutions provide tools for conducting risk assessments, identifying vulnerabilities, and implementing risk mitigation strategies.
• Confidence In Role: The best HIPAA compliance software removes the need for specialized compliance knowledge. It offers a clear view of compliance status, guided workflows, and access to live compliance experts so that someone without a compliance background can manage the role effectively.
• Peace of Mind: By using HIPAA compliance tracking software, organizations have a documented record that keeps pace with HIPAA as the regulations themselves change, without needing to track updates independently. This peace of mind reduces the stress and uncertainty associated with compliance management.

What To Consider When Purchasing HIPAA Compliance Software?

By following our buyer’s guide framework, you can make a thorough assessment of the best HIPAA compliance software options and select the most suitable solution to support your organization’s requirements. There are three aspects to consider when purchasing HIPAA compliance software which are discussed in detail below:

1. Essential Functionality

2. Software Specifications

3. Business Considerations

1. What Essential Functionality Is Required For HIPAA Compliance Software?

The best HIPAA compliance software should be a flexible system that follows a recognized framework like the HHS Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Seven Fundamental Elements Of An Effective Compliance Program. It should offer a guided setup process and documentation tailored to the organization.

The solution needs to ultimately provide proof of compliance for patients, clients, and auditors.

For compliance officers with little experience, the initial setup of the software is key. The best HIPAA compliance solutions offer some form of live compliance coaching to guide you through each step of setting up your HIPAA compliance program.

The following essential functionality will allow you to confidently address your organization’s compliance requirements:

1. Risk Assessment

• Risk assessment tools
• Streamlined questionnaires for user-friendly risk analysis
• Risk scoring
• Gap identification
• Ongoing HIPAA risk assessment maintenance
• Remediation planning

2. Incident Response

• Breach incident reporting
• Breach management tools
• Live breach support guidance

3. Policies & Procedures

• Policies and procedures tailored for your practice
• Policy and procedure management
• Central storage of policies and procedures
• Employee portal for easy access to review policies

4. Employee Training

• Train, track, and manage HIPAA compliance training for employees
• Up-to-date HIPAA compliance training modules
• Personalized, individual employee training certificates

5. Vendor/ Business Associate Management

• Identify and track business associates
• Business associate agreement generation and management
• Ability to loop business associates into your compliance program directly to eliminate silos

6. Multi-Site Management

• Manage the compliance levels at each site in an organization separately

7. Reporting

• Centralized documentation storage
• Audit logging and reports
• Visuals showing overall compliance status and gaps at a glance

What other features should you consider for your HIPAA compliance solution?

• Does the software dynamically generate documentation tailored for your practice, saving you from manually completing generic forms?
• If you have compliance questions, does the software provide access to compliance experts?
• Is the platform cloud-based and automatically updated to comply with the latest compliance legislation?
• OSHA compliance is a separate regulatory obligation from HIPAA, but many practices need to manage both. If that applies to you, it’s worth checking whether your chosen software handles both, which can simplify things, but evaluate that capability as a convenience rather than as part of what makes the software HIPAA-compliant.

2. What Are The Software Specifications To Consider For HIPAA Compliance Solutions?

Software specifications are aspects of a solution, such as usability or scalability, that are not about specific functionality but describe the broader qualities of the software. Specifications will help inform your decision when comparing HIPAA compliance software solutions.

1. Ease Of Use

• Assess the software’s overall user experience, including the user interface and navigation around the solution.
• Does it include guided workflows for conducting compliance activities? This is vital to make it easier for individuals without deep compliance expertise to navigate the compliance process.
• How user-friendly are the training modules that employees will be required to take as part of the organization’s compliance?
• Consider how often staff will actually log into the platform. A solution that requires significant reorientation every visit, or that requires a support call to complete routine tasks, adds friction that discourages consistent use. The best solutions make it immediately clear what needs to be done and guide the user through it.

2. Scalability & Flexibility

• Can the software accommodate your organization’s current scale, for example, to manage multiple locations?
• Does it allow for that management without compromising the location specificity expected by the regulations?
• Can it scale up and adapt to your organization’s evolving future needs?

3. Integration Capabilities

• Cloud-based solutions are the easiest to implement, and have the advantage that ongoing infrastructure maintenance is the responsibility of the software vendor.

4. Future Proofing

• How will the software vendor address regulatory changes and updates to ensure ongoing compliance in a timely manner?

3. What Are The Business Considerations When Choosing Software?

You may find that when evaluating functionality and specifications, a favored vendor will emerge and you feel ready to award them the business right away. It is highly recommended that you don’t allow yourself to be pressured into a fast decision before fully examining the commercial and business considerations.

1. Vendor Reputation

• Is the software endorsed by any medical associations?
• Is the software endorsed by any IT businesses/MSPs?
• Do they have current case studies and testimonials from other healthcare organizations that have successfully implemented the software?
• Check the online reviews to see what users like and dislike. Take with a grain of salt as most reviews tend to be one of two extremes, but trends do matter.
• Ask specifically whether any customers have been through an OCR investigation while using the software and what the outcome was.

2. Vendor Training & Support

• Does the vendor offer live support to guide you through the setup of their HIPAA compliance software solution?
• Is there a separate cost for this, or is it included in the price?
• After setup what ongoing support is offered and is this included in the vendor’s annual charges?
• Will the vendor assist in the event of a breach or investigation?

3. Costs

• Look for a transparent breakdown of pricing structures, including initial setup costs, licensing fees, and any additional charges for support or updates.
• Confirm that the core HIPAA requirements (risk assessment, policies and procedures, training, and Business Associate Agreement management) are included in the base plan.
• Is there a one-time purchase cost or is it a subscription-based model? Subscriptions have become the most common way to purchase cloud-based software.
• If cost is an issue and it appears that the solutions on your shortlist are similar, ensure you create a price comparison table taking all factors into account, such as extra costs for training or support. For example, whether HIPAA training is included or not.
• Does the vendor offer exclusive discounts? For example, they may offer a group discount for an association you may already be a member of.
• When comparing costs, factor in the value of your own time. A lower-priced solution that requires significantly more manual effort may not represent better value once the true cost of that time is considered.

4. Software License Period

• What is the commitment period and what does it mean for the level of support you can expect?
• Commitment structures tend to work both ways. Month to month arrangements offer flexibility but may be offset with upfront costs for onboarding and lack of ongoing support.
• An annual commitment usually signals a more substantial support model. The vendor has both the runway and the reason to make sure your program works.
• For upfront cost concerns, look for vendors who offer payment flexibility within an annual commitment. Payment schedule and commitment length are not always the same thing.
• Read the small print on any agreement before signing so you are aware of your obligations.

Free Buyer’s Guide

We have compiled a free buyer’s guide to choosing HIPAA compliance software. This includes a checklist for the three aspects discussed in this article where you can rate up to three different solutions and compare your results.

This guide to choosing the best HIPAA compliance software can be downloaded by filling in the form on this page.