Seasia has several years of experience offering HIPAA-compliant IT services for the healthcare industry.

1. An Overview of HIPAA Laws and
Regulations
Enough has been said and written about the role of technology in
transforming the healthcare industry. However, with the increasing
intervention of digital means in facilitating this transformation,
there is a need for increased focus on how sensitive data, such as
health information, is secured and handled by healthcare IT solutions.
Acts such as HIPAA help ensure that your private health information
is handled carefully by the said wonders of technology.
But what is HIPAA Compliance?
HIPAA is the abbreviation for Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act. And HIPAA compliance is the adherence to the
security and privacy regulations as outlined in the HIPAA laws. This
compliance requires technology companies that handle private
health information to implement strict security measures to ensure

2. the confidentiality and integrity of this information. Regulated by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HIPAA compliance
ensures complete protection of the privacy of individually
identifiable health information.
It is mandatory for companies, healthcare IT solutions providers, and
business associates to meet HIPAA compliance requirements if they
want to stay clear of legal and financial penalties. Any company
operating in the healthcare industry in the U.S. must comply with
HIPAA regulations as failure to do so may result in severe
consequences.
The Role of Complete HIPAA Compliance Services
It can be difficult for a technology company to adhere to the HIPAA
regulations by themselves, and it is here that some assistance from
a HIPAA compliance services provider may prove to be extremely
beneficial. These healthcare IT services cover most administrative

3. and technical requirements, such as the establishment of policies,
training, risk assessment, and more.
Seasia is one of the few technology companies that offers HIPAA
compliant software development for the healthcare industry. We
can also develop customized HIPAA-compliant security programs
to prevent data breaches and security threats, in addition to
introducing features powered by IoT in healthcare tools.
Partnering with an organization that offers HIPAA compliance
services or HIPAA compliant software development is key to avoiding
stiff penalties for noncompliance.
Do I really need to be HIPAA compliant?
If you work in the healthcare industry in the U.S. in any capacity, the
answer will be Yes. HIPAA applies to every single country operating
in the American healthcare industry; this includes health plans,
healthcare clearinghouses, healthcare IT service providers and data
storage providers that have access to any kind of patience
information, and the like.
How to make healthcare software HIPAA
compliant?
First things first, you won’t need to ensure HIPAA compliance if your
software doesn’t interact with private health information in any
form. If it does, this section is for you.
Let’s discuss some steps you must take in order to ensure that
your mhealthapp or software is HIPAA compliant.
Perform a thorough risk analysis.
A nice place to start would be listing out all the crucial details, such
as type of data your software utilizes, potential risks, current security

4. measures, and potential impact of threat occurrence. You should
perform risk analysis often to spot any loopholes and act upon
them.
Ensure ePHI data security on servers.
Even though reputed could storage providers
including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and GCP offer HIPAA-compliant
servers for storage of ePHI data, it is important to cross check with
the service provider. One good practice is to optimize your software
so that it operates on minimal data.
Implement data encryption wherever possible.
Data encryption is one of the most effective risk mitigation
measures. It protects sensitive information from unauthorized
access and data breaches.
Back up data and prepare for disaster management.
The HIPAA Security Rule emphasizes data backup and disaster
recovery, and therefore, you must consider creating multiple
backup copies in encrypted form and facilitate a real-time audition
solution. You must also create a recovery process to ensure
business continuity even in turbulent times.
Get rid of old data.
It is important that you dispose of private health information that is
no longer required very carefully. Keep in mind that even old data
should not be recoverable or accessible to the public.
Limit access to trustworthy personnel.
Make sure only those authorized can see or access private health
information. Some access management features you may consider

5. adding to your software are unique user identification, activity logs,
emergency access to data, strong authentication, and more.
Invest in employee training.
It might be a good idea to train the involved team members on
HIPAA compliance and best practices for data security to minimize
human error.
Regularly assess and revise internal security policies.
Having HIPAA compliant software isn’t enough. It is important to
ensure that the users are using it in a HIPAA compliant manner too.
This can be done only when the internal security policies are
regularly updated to align with HIPAA requirements.
HIPAA Rules for Telehealth Technology
Anyone providing managed IT services for healthcare must comply
with the following HIPAA rules published by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
Privacy Rule
The HIPAA Privacy Rule sets national standards for the protection of
individuals' medical records and other personal health information.
It requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of
personal health information and sets limits and conditions on the
uses and disclosures that may be made of such information
without patient authorization.
Security Rule
The HIPAA Security Rule outlines security standards for protecting
health information that is held or transferred in electronic form. The
Security Rule operationalizes the protections contained in the
Privacy Rule.

6. Enforcement Rule
The HIPAA Enforcement Rule provides guidelines for the
investigation of HIPAA compliance violations and the application of
penalties for those violations.
Breach Notification Rule
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule mandates that covered entities
and their business associates notify affected individuals, the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and, in some
cases, the media, in the event of a breach of unsecured protected
health information.
Omnibus Rule
The Omnibus Rule significantly expanded and clarified HIPAA
provisions to enhance patient privacy protection and strengthen
the security of health information. It extends the compliance
requirements of HIPAA, enhances privacy protection for patients,
introduces a tiered penalty structure for violations, and revises the
harm threshold for breach notification.
Guidance on HIPAA & Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is being used to revolutionize the healthcare
industry at a very large scale. This transition makes it very important
for developers to ensure HIPAA compliance in the cloud.
Here are some noteworthy considerations for anyone looking to
provide managed IT services for healthcare.
Choose the right cloud service model: There are three standard HIPAA-
compliant cloud service models: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS),
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service

7. (IaaS). You may choose one depending upon your unique
requirements.
Select a HIPAA-compliant cloud provider: When choosing a cloud
provider, it is best to ensure that they adhere to HIPAA compliance
requirements, such as risk assessment, data backup, and disaster
recovery. Most reputed providers are HIPAA-compliant.
Implement security measures: HIPAA-compliant cloud services allow
health organizations to safely store sensitive patient data and
protect against malware attacks and natural disasters.
Establish a HIPAA-compliant Business Associate Agreement: A covered
entity or business associate must enter into a HIPAA-compliant BAA
with the cloud service provider to ensure proper handling of private
health information.
Use encryption systems: Encryption systems can help protect ePHI
from unauthorized access and maintain its confidentiality.
Follow guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services: HHS offers guidance on the use of cloud computing,
business associate agreements, and HIPAA-related concerns.
Monitor and maintain compliance: Regularly review and update
security measures to ensure ongoing compliance with HIPAA
regulations.
HIPAA and the Advantages of the Cloud
As far as HIPAA compliance is concerned, cloud computing offers a
plethora of advantages for healthcare organizations.
These include:
Data Security

8. HIPAA-compliant cloud services provide end-to-end security
measures for storing electronic protected health information. This
helps ensure complete privacy of patient records while also helping
organizations avoid penalties for non-compliance.
Improved Accessibility and Cost Savings
Cloud storage allows for quick and easy access to a large amount
of data, enabling better and faster patient care. It also offers
benefits, such as remote file sharing, and expanded storage,
making it an appealing option for healthcare organizations.
HIPAA Compliant IT Services for The Healthcare Industry
Seasia has several years of experience offering HIPAA compliant IT
services for the healthcare industry. Our range of HIPAA-compliant IT
services includes cloud-based solutions, employee training,
comprehensive security measures, and more.
Are you on the lookout for a reputed and reliable partner to launch
HIPAA-compliant healthcare management software?
Let’s start talking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key aspects of HIPAA compliance?
The key aspects of HIPAA compliance include protecting the privacy
and security of protected health information, ensuring necessary
safeguards, implementing relevant policies and procedures, and
regularly assessing and updating security measures.
What is a HIPAA compliance?
HIPAA compliance involves adhering to the standards set by the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the

9. protection, handling, and confidential transmission of individually
identifiable private health information.
What are the 3 major rules in HIPAA regulations?
The 3 major rules in HIPAA regulations are: the Privacy Rule, the
Security Rule, the Breach Notification Rule. All these rules have been
explained here.
What is a compliance checklist?
A HIPAA compliance checklist is a list of items or tasks that must be
completed in order to achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance.
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