Top 10 HIPAA-Compliant Video Conferencing Telehealth Apps for Your Medical Practice

Building telehealth apps is the next big thing in healthcare software development. According to Grand View Research, the global telemedicine market is valued at $83.5 billion. The experts predict the need to expand at a staggering compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24% from 2023 to 2030. In such a case, it is reasonable for companies to either build a telehealth solution from scratch or choose among the available video conferencing telemedicine apps.

Yet, in both cases, the solution must be HIPAA-compliant. Otherwise, using telehealth software systems will be a massive financial burden. Keeping that in mind, let’s find out more about the role of HIPAA compliance in telemedicine app development. Besides, it is crucial to understand why HIPAA is vital for video conferencing in general. Finally, look at the top 10 HIPAA-compliant telehealth mobile apps and the ready-to-go solutions to choose from. 

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What is HIPAA Telehealth Video Conferencing?

With telehealth, it is crucial to understand that this is a massive market. At this point, its growth is accompanied by increased data being transferred and used. Video conferencing means the information is transmitted via video, audio, and text. 

Moreover, when video conferencing is coupled with healthcare, you get telemedicine. These apps work with the mediums mentioned above, a significant difference being that they use client information and protected health information (PHI). Safeguarding such sensitive data is the top priority in telemedicine app development. It is the moment when HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) comes into play.

Regarding HIPAA-compliant video conferencing, the app you use has all the safeguards, encryption, and security measures offering bank-grade protection for patient data. Thus, a telehealth app must adhere to both the Privacy Rule and Security Rule. In a nutshell, HIPAA created national rules and standards protecting patient health records by:

• Offering patients a greater degree of control over their health data.
• Setting clear boundaries of how the health data can and cannot be used.
• Establishing protective and security measures healthcare providers are obliged to follow.
• Holding those breaching the data protection standards responsible and accountable.

These core procedures allow HIPAA-compliant telehealth apps to provide top-notch healthcare services while securing sensitive PHI. Within the telemedicine market, healthcare providers are presented as Covered Entities. Individuals or organizations receiving health information from them are Business Associates. Thus, HIPAA standards are primarily applied to both categories.

Why Is HIPAA Important for Telemedicine Mobile Apps?

Following HIPAA rules is a must for each developer designing, building, and using telehealth systems. So, there is no short answer. But looking deeper into the phenomenon, it is crucial to understand three key aspects.

First, HIPAA regulations apply to Covered Entities and Business Associates of all sizes, from a single therapist to multinational insurance companies. They focus on:

• Confidentiality. Ensuring PHIs are confidential.
• Protection. Safeguarding PHIs against threats.
• Compliance. Ensuring everyone follows HIPAA regulations.
• Prevention. Preventing unauthorized access.
• Integrity. Ensuring PHIs are intact.
• Availability. Ensuring PHIs are available to respective parties.

Second, telemedicine HIPAA compliance brings distinct benefits to patients. Before these rules were enforced, providers were not legally obliged to protect data. If a breach occurred, nobody was liable. Now, patients can see a doctor with the assurance that their data is protected, which is the primary advantage of HIPAA within a proper healthcare data strategy. 

Third, HIPAA is beneficial for healthcare organizations. It reformed how providers handle PHIs and improved administrative tasks. The critical advantage stems from avoiding the average cost of data breaches. 

The Cost of Healthcare Data Breaches

In most cases, a data breach costs an average of $4.24 million per incident. In fact, healthcare experiences the costliest incidents, with losses reaching about $9.42 million per incident. Implementing HIPAA within telehealth mobile apps is a great way to protect yourself from these financial burdens and ensure your treatment plan data remains secure.

With all the given benefits HIPAA offers, it is apparent the regulations redefined the healthcare industry and made PHIs as protected as ever before. Data protection measures presented by the regulations allowed healthcare organizations to adopt digitization at a more excellent pace. 

Top 10 HIPAA-Compliant Telehealth Video Conferencing Apps

There are dozens of apps on Google Play and the App Store to choose from. So, further is a list of top telehealth video conferencing apps available. Besides a well-established reputation, each comes with various telemedicine integrations and is a frontrunner in the healthcare market.

Zoom for Healthcare

Zoom for Healthcare is one of the leaders among all existing telehealth apps. While the central Zoom platform is not HIPAA-compliant, the company ensured that its iteration for healthcare follows all the rules and regulations mentioned above. Also, as cloud-based software working with cloud data management, Zoom for Healthcare follows HIPAA and PIPEDA regulations, which makes it double-proofed against internal and external breaches. 

Regarding the uniqueness of Zoom for Healthcare, it is crucial to indicate the platform’s ability to integrate with various medical devices. For instance, the app allows a clinician to join the video call and integrate with devices like digital stethoscopes or solutions like EHRs. In addition, the tool allows more than two users to join the session. Therefore, it makes an excellent deal for conducting group telemedicine appointments.

As to some additional features, Zoom for Healthcare comes with the following:

• Patient waiting room
• High-definition (HD) video and audio
• In-app file sharing
• Chat messenger
• Recording transcripts
• AES 256-encryption

Overall, Zoom for Healthcare is an excellent HIPAA-compliant telehealth software system solution applicable for both small practices and massive insurance companies. To tap into the tool, you must choose between two pricing packages. Zoom One Pro option starts at $149.90 for up to 100 participants, and Zoom One Business starts at $199.90 for up to 300 participants.

RingCentral for Healthcare

RingCentral for Healthcare is a well-known HIPAA-compliant telehealth software system. The platform gained prominence due to its quality as well as charity. Specifically, during the COVID-19 outbreak, the company offered healthcare providers free access to its features to help battle the pandemic. The tool is fully HIPAA-compliant and HITRUST CSF certified. Also, this app comes with end-to-end encryption and offers the best data protection measures.

One of the unique aspects of RingCentral for Healthcare is that it integrates various well-known CRMs, unified communication services, and messenger instruments. Besides, a healthcare provider can share screens with other users during telehealth sessions. Finally, the tool is excellent for medical professionals who prefer annotation. The telehealth app comes with file annotation software allowing users to make virtual notes and update patient charts. 

What is more, here are some additional features RingCentral for Healthcare offers:

• Team calendar
• Task management feature
• Compliance exports
• Round-the-clock customer support

As a result, RingCentral for Healthcare is among the telehealth mobile apps ensuring HIPAA compliance through end-to-end encryption, Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and HITRUST CSF certification. You can get access to the app’s features via four pricing plans. There is an Essentials package starting at $19.99 per user/month, a Standard package starting at $27.99 per user/month, a Premium package starting at $34.99 per user/month, and an Ultimate package starting at $49.99 per user/month.  

GoTo Meeting for Healthcare

GoTo Meeting for Healthcare is a viable telemedicine option many enterprises prefer. The platform achieved safe, secure, and HIPAA-compliant video conferencing through BAA, AES 256-bit encryption, and additional protective measures like one-time passwords, meeting locks, and disabled recordings. GoTo Meeting for Healthcare also has a BSI C5 certification, further supporting the platform’s care for patient health information. 

This telehealth app is known for its integrations. As a user, you can integrate various calendar plugins like Outlook, Calendly, and Curve Dental to schedule an appointment easily. Besides, in terms of communication, GoTo integrates with MS Team, Slack, and Hipchat. Finally, for a reasonable price, users can use the following features:

• In-app file sharing
• Screen sharing
• Chat messaging
• Note-taking
• Meeting locks
• Meetings with no time limit
• High-definition (HD) audio and video streaming

All these features come in three pricing packages. With GoTo for Healthcare, telehealth video conferencing is available within Professional and Business plans, costing $12 per month and $16 per month, respectively. There is also an Enterprise plan. Yet, the price within the package is structured according to the client’s needs, which means it differs from user to user. 

VSee

VSee is among the notable Zoom for Healthcare alternatives. Like other candidates, this telehealth app ensures PHI protection and HIPAA compliance through BAA and protective measures like two-factor authentication and AES 256-bit encryption. 

While choices like Zoom, RingCentral, and GoTo have video conferencing for various industries, VSee is a true telemedicine provider solution with all its products dedicated to healthcare. It offers tools like VSee Clinic, VSee Messenger, VSee APIs, VSee Remote Patient Monitoring, VSee Telemedicine Kits, and VSee Telehealth Staffing. All these tools put VSee on the map among leading telemedicine apps. 

When it comes to factors making VSee unique, the first worth mentioning is that the platform allows medical facilities to conduct telehealth appointments. This telehealth app integrates with Fitbit, wireless scales, blood pressure monitors, and other IoT devices enabling a healthcare provider to create and update wellness charts and share them with other users. 

Also, VSee is a unique telemedicine platform because it provides walk-in appointments, which is a great way to see a doctor through a virtual visit. While in the virtual waiting room, patients can watch relevant educational materials and access 24/7 live chat support.

In terms of some additional features VSee offers, there are the following to consider:

• Virtual intake forms
• Electronic prescriptions
• Live notetaking
• Screen sharing
• Self-scheduling for patients
• Post-visit surveys
• VSee compatible medical equipment

Finally, the most exciting part is that VSee has a great Free Forever package giving a user unlimited one-on-one calls. Yet, if you want to get some additional features, you should choose between the Basic package starting at $49 per month and a customizable Enterprise plan.  

doxy.me

doxy.me is a telemedicine app with something to offer patients, providers, and clinics. Starting with the patients, the platform is known to be simple and convenient. Besides, as a user, you do not need to download the app and can use the browser to access the instrument. Regarding the security of PHIs, doxy.me adheres to HIPAA, PIPEDA, and GDPR. 

For providers, the tool offers features like patient view, clinician dashboard, and clinician view. Finally, when working with clinics and organizations, doxy.me is a powerful telemedicine solution offering custom branding, analytics, and transfer patient aspects. 

doxy.me is a mobile-friendly telehealth app for iOS/Android devices coming with such features:

• Unlimited sessions
• Unlimited length of sessions
• Personalized rooms
• Chat messenger
• Session history
• Browser notifications
• Breach insurance

Besides the features above, doxy.me adopts AES-256 encryption. However, the platform’s protective measures are backed by Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 management infrastructure. At some point, doxy.me was coined as one of the most affordable telemedicine apps. It comes in Free, Professional, Clinic, and Enterprise pricing options. The Professional package starts at $35 per month, while the Clinic option starts at $50 per month.

SimplePractice

SimplePractice Telehealth is a desktop and mobile app for a therapist or clinician and their patients that complies with stringent HIPAA rules. The unique aspect of the SimplePractice app is the tool offering insurance processing. Thus, the instrument is ideal for medical practitioners emphasizing providing care to patients with physical and mental conditions. 

What is exciting about SimplePractice, is that the telehealth app is mobile-friendly, which means users can fill in patient intake documents on mobile devices. Using a telehealth software tool by SimplePractice, you can manage secure video appointments easily, and patients can share some sensitive data without risks. In addition, SimplePractice entails these features:

• One-click video calling
• Screen sharing
• Customized note-taking templates
• Website booking
• Personal calendar
• Autopay billing 

To tap into what SimplePractice offers, you need to choose between several pricing options. Along with a 30-day free trial, the telehealth app is available through Starter, Essential, and Plus packages. The pricing is $29 per month, $69 per month, and $99 per month, respectively. 

Thera-LINK

Thera-LINK is a telehealth app designed to assist mental health professionals. Being similar to doxy.me, this tool is also a browser-based solution. It offers practice management features with data automation options, such as update-ready schedule and online payment options. 

Besides, the instrument entails a particular Directory aspect, allowing users to find the needed practice through the online database search. In most cases, Thera-LINK is coined as a perfect match for healthcare professionals seeking telemedicine apps to use for group counseling, support groups, and family therapy. 

When delivering the services, Thera-LINK offers the following features:

• In-app chat messenger
• Screen sharing
• Mute and unmute options
• File sharing
• Self-scheduling
• BAA agreement
• AES-256 encryption

At this point, Thera-LINK provides all the essential features you might need with a telehealth app. Regarding HIPAA compliance, along with the BAA agreement and AES-256 encryption, the platform adopted HTTPS and Strict Transport Security (HSTS) protection measures. While Thera-LINK offers a three-day free trial, you need to choose from three pricing plans to get more of its premium features. There is a Basic plan starting at $30 per month, Plus plan to start at $45 per month, and an Ultimate plan starting at $65 per month. 

Medici

While Thera-LINK and doxy.me are browser-based telehealth apps, Medici is a mobile-only telemedicine tool. In a nutshell, the instrument offers high-quality care services through secure video calls and texting channels. Besides, Medici is easily integrated into EHR, which helps healthcare professionals avoid steep learning curves when providing treatments and diagnosis. 

Regarding HIPAA compliance, one of the unique aspects of this telehealth system is that it is SOC 2 compliant as well. Not many telemedicine apps comply with this standard. Medici has distinct privacy controls, security measures, and encryption to protect PHIs and all related medical data. Finally, in terms of features coming with the tool, these are the ones to consider:

• Secure text messaging
• High-definition (HD) video
• EHR integration
• Chat translation
• Revenue dashboards
• Multi-patient workflow management systems
• Clinical workflow management

If you want to get your hands on some of the unique features above, you use the Free option. However, if you want to have them all, you need to choose between the Treat plan, starting at $25 per month or Grow plan with customized pricing. 

Pexip Health

Pexip Health is a video platform powering robust telehealth. Its new version includes secure connections and customizable workflows. The platform integrates with Google Meet, Zoom, and WhatsApp-style messaging. It supports deployment with Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. This telemedicine app links patients and healthcare providers through different virtual care solutions. In a nutshell, Pexip Health provides three distinct aspects – Pexip Build, Connected Spaces, and Secure Connections. 

Starting Pexip Build allows users to customize a telehealth video platform with distinct branding and workflows to get a great user experience. In turn, Connected Spaces are there to make virtual appointments and patient-provider links easier. This aspect helps integrate Pexip Health with Cisco and Poly and works with Big Data. Finally, Secure Communications ensures this telehealth app is confidential and has all the protections against security breaches. 

When it comes to distinct features, Pexip Health entails the following:

• Epic EHR
• Integrations with Microsoft Team, Skype, and Google Meet
• Video chat via different devices
• Third-party plugins
• Software downloads
• SOC 2 and FIPS 140-2 compliance
• Deployment with Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and AWS

Pexip Health provides a free trial. However, to access the entire functionality package, you must pay a starting price of $39 per month. While Pexip Health is considered a lightweight option among telemedicine apps, it still offers all you might need to provide top-notch virtual care. 

eVisit

eVisit is a virtual appointment and hybrid care delivery telehealth software that works for individual healthcare providers and hospitals. The platform’s fundamental goal is three-folded:

1. It calls on providers to boost the patient experience.
2. It offers an expansion of one’s market share.
3. The instrument is there to increase revenue.

eVisit is proven to be accessible and easy to use. There is an indication that 46% of healthcare executives lose patients due to a lack of easy access to care. Also, the creators behind eVisit provide more than 150 points of configuration and promise up to 5.8x return on investment. 

Pondering upon HIPAA compliance, along with standard measures telehealth apps employ, eVisit went a bit further. The company created a so-called eVault and has an internal team of experts on HIPAA regulations, ensuring the platform follows stringent privacy, security, and confidentiality measures. Finally, professionals at eVisit even published several guides on HIPAA compliance.  

eVisit offers a Free plan and Standard, Advanced, and Premium packages. Each one is priced at $25 per month, $37 per month, and $50 per month. Thus, you get one of the most protected telehealth apps for a reasonable price. 

Choosing the Best Telemedicine Mobile App

Even between the top 10 telehealth apps above, you need to know which one to choose. Here are seven key questions to ask when choosing the best telemedicine app:

1. Is the tool applicable to your particular medical field (e.g., urgent care)?
2. Does the tool meet the needs of your online doctor and patient?
3. Do your competitors use the same tool?
4. Is this tool secure?
5. Is the tool HIPAA-compliant and is a BAA signed?
6. Can you schedule and diagnose effectively within the system?
7. Does it offer the best experience for the scheduled time?

Asking these questions brings you closer to the telehealth app, meeting all your needs. The points above need to be covered to ensure the telemedicine solution picks services in the best interests of your patients and your organization. 

Telehealth Apps HIPAA Compliance Checklist

Even if the company behind a telehealth software system indicates the solution is HIPAA compliant, you still need to double-check that. Our checklist includes the following elements.

Risk Analysis

In general terms, the method involved analyzing all the potential threats to health data storage, security, privacy, and confidentiality. It entails looking at how the data is stored, maintained, and transmitted. Besides, there are different infrastructure vulnerabilities to consider. Finally, each good telehealth platform has a document serving as a PHI response plan. 

Risk Elimination

After conducting a risk analysis, it is time for risk elimination. In telehealth apps, entire teams should be dedicated to removing potential password or data vulnerabilities. That is crucial for ensuring proper security and confidentiality of medical information. When dealing with the risks, follow the minimum requirements for PHI usage.

Risk Management

Finally, it is time for risk management, which means dealing with potential risks in advance. The practice often comes with adding SSL certificates and custom-designed referral programs. So, you must check whether your chosen telehealth app has those. Here are the critical tips to use:

• Vulnerability scans
• Penetration testing
• Network event monitoring
• Audit trails
• Login tracking
• Automated event analysis 
• Compliance reporting

With risk analysis, risk elimination, and risk management, it is possible to determine whether the telehealth app you have chosen has the promised top-grade protection and HIPAA compliance. 

How to Add HIPAA Compliant Telehealth Video Conferencing App

Ultimately, to add a HIPAA-compliant video visit feature, you need:

• Backend technology and cloud computing. You need access to appropriate data storage options like Google Cloud Platform or AWS.
• Encryption. You need to have an infrastructure capable of handling AES-256, FIPS 140-2, and HTTP/TLS standards.
• WebRTC. Finally, a telemedicine app development solution can only work with WebRTC, which is essential for live video streaming.

To handle the best telehealth app, it is vital to consider the aspects above in advance. More than simply choosing the solution is required. Getting started with telehealth means ensuring the app is free to download for patients while your backend remains robust and compliant.

Conclusion

Access to a high-quality telehealth app can often become a game-changer. Whether you use SimplePractice, Teladoc, or Doctor on Demand, ensuring a HIPAA-compliant video visit is vital. Now that you know how to join a telehealth session and navigate the terms of use, you can better serve your patients from the comfort of your home or office. And expand your market share for the further increase in revenue as well. 

Are you considering building a custom telehealth solution? Message SPsoft’s experts to learn about our healthcare software development services and build a custom, HIPAA-compliant app that fits your medical practice like a glove!

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