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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a mandatory framework for all organizations that handle protected health information (PHI). To achieve compliance, organizations must implement and continuously uphold complex administrative, physical, and technical safeguards, which can often be time-consuming and challenging.

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In addition, HIPAA requirements are interpretive and evolve over time to address new tech and emerging threats, making compliance workflows increasingly complex. Many security teams are constantly overwhelmed trying to keep up with regulatory updates and avoid costly HIPAA violations.

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A capable HIPAA compliance software can significantly ease the burden on security and compliance teams. It can streamline and automate repetitive processes, reducing the human effort and making workflows more predictable.

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In this buyer’s guide, we’ll explore:

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• Key features to consider in HIPAA compliance software solutions
• Tips for choosing the right software
• Implementation best practices

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What is HIPAA compliance software?

HIPAA compliance software is a dedicated solution designed to help organizations meet HIPAA requirements and maintain compliance by streamlining tasks, automating certain safeguards, and improving visibility into risks and gaps.

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Software solutions are incredibly helpful for HIPAA compliance because the regulation does not provide appropriate actionable guidance on implementing various physical, technical, and administrative standards to protect PHI.

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Many compliance solutions address the underlying uncertainty of HIPAA by translating broad provisions into clear policies, procedures, and workflows.

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The software can also support regulatory HIPAA audits—if an organization reports a PHI breach, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) may view the use of compliance software as a demonstration of good-faith effort. This can positively influence the agency’s decision when considering corrective measures or financial penalties.

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8 key features to look for in a HIPAA compliance software

When choosing your compliance software, focus on solutions that either offer out-of-the-box HIPAA support or can be easily customized to map the relevant requirements.

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Top-tier HIPAA compliance software doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach—it adapts to the unique requirements of covered entities, like healthcare providers and insurers, as well as business associates. Each category comes with distinct considerations, and your solution should reflect that nuance.”

Tim Blair

Sr. Manager, GTM GRC SMEs, Vanta

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LinkedIn

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Some of the non-negotiable features to consider include:

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1. Risk assessment and management: Prioritize tools that help teams conduct security risk assessments under HIPAA. According to the Vanta HIPAA Violation report, skipping company-wide risk assessments is one of the top reasons behind HIPAA missteps. Quality HIPAA software can streamline these assessments, helping reduce the manual load involved.
2. Stakeholder training tracking: Look for solutions that help organize HIPAA-specific employee training programs and track completion rates.
3. Customizable policies: High-quality compliance solutions offer pre-built, comprehensive policy templates that responsible business functions can further customize.
4. Audit readiness tracking: You may want tools that track audit readiness by flagging incomplete documentation or steering teams toward gap remediation areas.
5. Real-time monitoring: See if the solution has a centralized dashboard for continuous compliance monitoring that helps you identify gaps in real time and plan for data-backed remediation measures.
6. Automated evidence and documentation collection: Evidence management is easier with the right tools as they collect logs, training records, and policy version histories in one place and build a comprehensive audit trail.
7. Business associate management: Centralized management tools for business associate agreements (BAAs) and vendor risk assessments help with third-party oversight under HIPAA.
8. Integration with existing systems: API connections unify disparate security workflows and enable seamless automation configurations.

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{{cta_withimage13="/cta-modules"}}   | HIPAA compliance checklist

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5 tips for selecting the right HIPAA compliance solution

Since there are numerous compliance solutions available on the market, here are five tips that can help you make the right choice:

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1. Determine your organizational needs

Consider your organization’s HIPAA compliance needs based on how it handles PHI. The scope of HIPAA obligations differs slightly for covered entities and business associates, so clarifying your role will help you narrow down the needed functionalities.

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For instance, if your organization is a business associate that supports covered entities by providing cloud-based services or handling PHI on their behalf, you primarily need to focus on the Security Rule and Breach Notification Rule. 

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This means your software solution should include features that strengthen your security posture and provide clear guidance for incident response and breach notification procedures. For HIPAA, it’s imperative that the tool clearly organizes compliance requirements and provides the ability to customize risk, vendor risk, and control-level modules.

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2. Find a maturity level match

Due to HIPAA’s comprehensive and flexible nature, the market offers different solutions for organizations of various sizes and maturity levels. For instance, some compliance tools cater only to smaller organizations just beginning to organize their HIPAA program, and offer more guidance, resources, and structure.

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On the other hand, legacy solutions may only focus on mature security teams and won’t roll out much beyond automation, integration, and scalability. That’s why many HIPAA tools may not be a direct fit for your organization for reasons such as:

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• Excessive orientation toward the Privacy Rule or another particular rule
• Inadequate technical safeguards, like encryption methods
• Limited policy customization options

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While legacy software usually comes with a proven track record of effective compliance, it may address HIPAA updates and compliance gaps more slowly. Newer solutions are more agile and tend to adapt faster, making it easier to stay aligned with HIPAA requirements. Many modern solutions also offer scalable HIPAA solutions that can work for both small and large teams.

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3. Review integration capabilities

Robust integrations are essential for automating and streamlining HIPAA workflows. Review your existing tech stack and identify which software your HIPAA compliance solution must integrate with smoothly to make evidence collection and management easier.

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Most users would want their HIPAA compliance software integrated with third-party tools like:

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• Data management programs associated with Electronic medical records (EMRs)
• Communication apps 
• Hosting services such as AWS or Azure

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Some users may undervalue integrations in favor of other compliance-friendly features. Still, a solution that integrates well with your current tech stack can pay off in the long run because it enhances real-time data accuracy, especially when you’re aiming for audit readiness.

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{{cta_withimage39="/cta-blocks"}} | The Healthcare compliance checklist

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4. Evaluate the cost-to-feature ratio

Before committing to a solution, carefully evaluate its cost-to-feature ratio to see if it delivers meaningful value to your team. Some vendors may bundle HIPAA with other compliance suites that drive up the costs without providing equivalent value. You should also consider the effective ownership cost of a solution and whether the quoted price excludes hidden fees like licensing or setup charges.

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Keep in mind that HIPAA compliance software is a long-term investment. Ensure the solution’s pricing structure and capabilities align with your business goals, especially if you’re planning to scale.

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5. Assess automation and monitoring capabilities

Once you’ve implemented safeguards that meet HIPAA standards, it’s essential that you ensure they continue to align with them by regularly conducting workflows such as:

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• Risk assessments
• Security audits
• Evidence and documentation collection

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Seek out solutions that offer continuous monitoring alongside automation. Together, these features will minimize the reliance on point-in-time information and allow for quick reactions in case of potential gaps.

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A robust HIPAA compliance solution should also enable you to respond to PHI breaches within the restricted timeframes. Compare dashboard UI and notification logistics between solutions to see what works best for you.

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A common misconception is that a compliance tool will do everything or eliminate the need to change existing organizational processes. In reality, these tools are most effective when used to identify gaps and risks within a controlled environment. Some platforms, like Vanta, go a step further by offering remediation guidance—but even the best solutions are designed to enhance and support a compliance program, not replace the need for one.

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Best practices for implementing HIPAA compliance software

Integrating compliance software into an organization's workflows usually takes anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Here are some best practices to support a smooth rollout:

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• Prepare your existing network infrastructure: New technologies can introduce vulnerabilities if they don’t integrate with your existing systems, such as firewalls, identity providers, and data storage solutions. Ensure there are no conflicts with the infrastructure.
• Secure and back up sensitive data: No matter how good the software, implementation may cause data loss due to unpredictable issues. Back up your electronic PHI (ePHI) and documentation to avoid such risks.
• Train staff on software use: Train the stakeholders who will regularly interact with the solution on how to navigate and use it for alignment with HIPAA. 
• Monitor software performance and impact: Monitor and document the software’s performance and impact on daily operations to ensure its effectiveness and proactively detect blocks.
• Run feedback loops: Schedule regular assessments and staff interviews to ensure the settings and user roles are up to date and function as intended.

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{{cta_withimage13="/cta-modules"}}   | HIPAA compliance checklist

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Why Vanta is the best HIPAA compliance solution

Vanta is a trust management platform that helps organizations achieve HIPAA compliance with built-in resources and prescriptive guidance. It’s one of the best HIPAA compliance solutions on the market because of its broad coverage and intuitive AI, automation, and reporting functionalities.

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Depending on your tech stack, Vanta can automate a significant portion of your HIPAA workflows, reducing manual effort across processes. It can support access reviews related to systems that handle PHI, which can be useful for internal monitoring and audits.

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Other prominent features include:

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• Ready-to-use document templates
• Policy templates with an in-app editor
• A unified intuitive dashboard for streamlined tracking
• Automated evidence collection through 375+ integrations
• Built-in governance and training solutions

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Vanta is designed to be scalable and agile, so it can support both growing and mature security teams. Schedule a custom demo of the HIPAA product to get a tailored overview for your team.

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Vanta also offers other compliance solutions, both standalone and as a package. You can choose from 35+ standards and regulations, such as HITRUST, SOC 2, and ISO 27001, and build your custom compliance solution.

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{{cta_simple18="/cta-modules"}}  | HIPAA product page

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A note from Vanta: Vanta is not a law firm, and this article does not constitute or contain legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. When determining your obligations and compliance with respect to relevant laws and regulations, you should consult a licensed attorney.

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