How to make HIPAA-compliant software on AWS?

What does HIPAA Compliant Software mean? How can it be developed? The health industry has decked up with technology and moving towards growth at its 100% pace. A HIPAA Compliant Application means that patient data will be under total security standards. This health compliance is also supported by Amazon’s (the tech giant) cloud service i.e. AWS (Amazon Web Services). It is supported by AWS Cloud storage for better security of patient data. The article is a guide on How to make HIPAA-compliant software on AWS? Simultaneously, the user gets acquainted with its certification and eligibility to be a HIPAA Compliant agency.  

To facilitate HIPAA Compliance, a company should accommodate protected health information (PHI) by holding physical networking and delivering sustainable security measures. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has necessitated this rule in each hospitality service provider and is abide by strict laws. 

Is Amazon Cloud HIPAA compliant?

Amazon Web Services has all the protections to satisfy the HIPAA Security Rule and Amazon will sign a business associate agreement with healthcare organizations. So, is AWS HIPAA compliant? Yes. And No. AWS can be HIPAA compliant, but configuration mistakes can expose PHI. Organizations using AWS are responsible for ensuring HIPAA compliance and must properly configure AWS services to safeguard PHI and prevent violations. unprotected and accessible by unauthorized individuals, violating HIPAA Rules.

Is AWS HIPAA certified?

There is no HIPAA certification for a cloud service provider (CSP) such as AWS. To meet HIPAA requirements for our operating model, AWS follows higher security standards aligned with FedRAMP and NIST 800-53, which map to the HIPAA Security Rule. AWS aligns our HIPAA risk management program with these standards to ensure compliance.

How to Build HIPAA-Compliant Applications on AWS?

To get along with your business with AWS HIPAA Compliance, one has to satisfy some clauses as given in the eligibility parameters below. Millennials today, utilize this mechanism to advance their security standards. The utilization of AWS services initiates HIPAA Service List to build scalable, secure, and fault-bearing solutions. 

So let’s get started! 

What is required to be HIPAA Compliant?

There are a few privacy rules which need to be followed to be HIPAA Compliant. These are a set of national standards to ensure the security of people’s medical data and personal health information (PHI). Moreover, this is also applied to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and those who perform medical transactions electronically. 

Therefore, our team has shared AWS HIPAA Compliance Checklist for better understanding. Read all the eligibility parameters carefully:

AWS HIPAA Compliance Checklist

• HIPAA Privacy Rule: This focuses on the patient’s right to access PHI and the healthcare right to deny that access. 
• HIPAA Security Rule: This deals with the security, transmission, and dealing of electronic PHI (e-PHI). This concentrates on the security of e-PHI.
• HIPAA Breach Policies: This is meant for entities and business associates found in e-PHI or PHI data breaches. There are specific protocols based on the kind of data breach. 
• HIPAA Omnibus Rule: This is meant for business organizations to mandate HIPAA compliance at their premises. 

These are a few parameters that need to be followed with HIPAA compliance. Now, let’s get started on how do I make my AWS HIPAA-compliant.

But before this, we will get familiar with the HIPAA Certification process. It is the main step in setting up the HIPAA Compliance Software using AWS.

How to get HIPAA Certification?

If you see an organization stating we are HIPAA Compliance, you must be aware of the fact that the organization has successfully gone through a course, developed to train and teach the information you need to apply in the business. 

Steps to get HIPAA Certification:

• You need to choose a course that suits your employee learning standards.
• The certification requires all people to participate, but if you are low on finances, then select people who can be trained as trainers.
• Train the trainer means, your selected employee will train the other staff, not the professional ones. 
• These HIPAA Certified individuals can then run training programs on-site for others so that an acknowledgment of the Act can be triggered on the whole campus. 
• The company must accommodate HIPAA Policy, featuring the same term or conditions as in the company’s health and safety policy. 
• The selected applicants (trained for trainers) will be examined monthly for a proper compliance check. 
• Now the HHS authorities will evaluate the compliance and then will provide you with the certificate. 

How to make HIPAA-compliant software on AWS?

AWS or Amazon Web Services helps you to circulate, manage, and keep PHI as per the HIPAA and HITECH compliance needs. The AWS Cloud Services and data centers have manifold layers of physical and operational security to guarantee the security of customer data.

Before any construction and safely keeping any PHI information on the AWS platform, the organization has to sign the Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with AWS. The agreement clarifies and limits the requested use and disclosure of PHI. 

HIPAA Rules needs the covered entities and business associates to get into a contract to confirm the proper security of PHI. The business associates are the person or organization that delivers functions or activities and are not put to work by the covered entity.

So as per the policy, AWS becomes the business associate while the healthcare company or business that developed it will become the covered entity. 

Once, the organization has signed the BAA with AWS, the account will then be treated as HIPAA Account. Now all the PHI data will be maintained and stored in it. Similarly, the BAA is transferable, when you are selling your application as a SaaS-based solution. 

Now that you have signed the bond with AWS, start building your infrastructure where you move your PHI to Amazon Web Services. To do so, you have to fulfill the following necessities:

• All the movable information will be encrypted first. 
• PHI should be backed up and it is recoverable. 
• The information is managed by an authorized person.
• The information so obtained should not be tampered with or altered.
• When information is not needed, permanently discard options are there. 

All the information will make your company a HIPAA Compliance agency. You have to be careful with the utilization and avoid the compliance rules. 

 

Final Words:

So these were the suitable details on How to make HIPAA-compliant software on AWS? Any company or organization related to healthcare have to follow compliance. Agencies that do not adhere to the compliance, are being penalized up to $100 to $50,000 per violation. The highest HIPAA Compliance Penalty can range to $1.5 million per year. So be cautious when adopting this super secure HIPAA Compliance with AWS Cloud. 

Looking for a reliable HIPAA-compliant software development company? Look no further than DreamSoft4u. Our experienced team can expertly guide you through the development process.

FAQs

1. Why is HIPAA compliance important for healthcare software?

HIPAA compliance is important to protect patient data and maintain confidentiality in healthcare software.

2. What factors can impact the cost of making software HIPAA-compliant on AWS?

While project size, scope, and complexity play a key role in costs, other factors like the level of HIPAA compliance required, and any necessary infrastructure changes need equal consideration.

3. What is the typical team size required for HIPAA-compliant software on AWS?

The team size required can vary depending on the scope of the project but typically includes developers, security specialists, and compliance experts.

4. What AWS services are commonly used for HIPAA-compliant software?

Commonly used AWS services for HIPAA-compliant software include Amazon S3, Amazon RDS, and Amazon CloudWatch.

5. How can AWS services help with data backup and disaster recovery?

AWS services can help with data backup and disaster recovery by providing automated backups, replication across multiple availability zones, and disaster recovery plans.

6. Are you a registered AWS vendor?

Yes, we are a registered AWS vendor.