The healthcare industry must stay HIPAA compliant for every business process. Data privacy is an essential factor when developing healthcare software. The organization needs to ensure the software delivers safe and secure healthcare services while maintaining data privacy.
Software development is expensive. If you want to develop a robust system, the first question that comes to your mind is – How much does it cost to develop a healthcare software? The answer to this question is not simple, as several factors determine the costs of HIPAA compliant healthcare software. Here is the list.
Compliance Related Costs
A lot of things go into the development of HIPAA-compliant healthcare software. Here are the security features that need to be part of your healthcare software.
- Data encryption and security – the app should provide data encryption on the fly when data is at rest or in transit
- Usage history and data logging– the software should compile, store and assess logs to ensure protected information is handled correctly.
- User access controls– the software should have secure access controls (multi-factor authentication) to ensure only the person with the access right is allowed access to the system.
- Automatic logoff –HIPAA compliance requires the software to have an automatic logoff feature. The application should end the user sessions automatically after a certain period of inactivity. The user will be required to enter login credentials to access the system again.
- Secure authentication – the secure authentication feature should comply with the Technical Safeguard rule laid by HIPAA compliance. Individuals accessing the system should go through a proper authentication process when accessing PHI data.
- Minimum data collection – the software should follow the model of minimum data collection. The healthcare software should limit unnecessary and limited access and disclosure to PHI.
- Emergency backups – in addition to physical and technical safeguards, the software should have a contingency plan. For example, it should have an emergency operation plan and create data backups to maintain application and data criticality analysis.
- Remote data wipe – the software should have a remote data wipe feature that allows administrators to erase electronically protected health information from any device that could be a potential risk.
Every HIPAA applicant needs to have these features. Adding every security feature takes resources and time, which increases the software’s cost. This is the first part of the answer to your question – How much does it cost to develop healthcare software? And here comes the second part of the answer.
Application Features Cost
Every healthcare company wants to have specific functionalities in the software to make business processes more efficient. Every feature in the software will increase its cost. Some healthcare organizations want their software to have rich features like teleconferencing, calling, forms, and analytical report generation that add to the HIPAA compliant software cost.
Other Factors That Affect the Cost of HIPAA Compliant Software
- Size of Healthcare Organization
- Type of Healthcare Organization
- Number of Business Associates
- Geographic location
When you develop HIPAA compliant software, you need to consider charges for HIPAA compliant hosting. You might need a reserved instance of the server to host your application. After developing the application, you need to hire 3rd party services to conduct an audit and add security software to monitor the application.
If your software supports features like telemedicine, you need to consider the costs of adding a Live Chat Service provider. HIPAA Compliance also requires you to document and maintain documentation of every development process.
The documentation should mention which path you chose to meet HIPAA compliance and how it was achieved at the end of the process. The documentation process is essential, and its costs are part of the HIPAA compliant app development process.
To sum up, HIPAA compliance is a necessity, and you should not take it lightly. The information given helps you know the factors that affect the costs, and it can help you develop healthcare software that builds and sustains a culture of compliance within your healthcare business.
