What Healthcare Organizations Need to Know (and Common Mistakes to Avoid)
A healthcare website is not just a marketing asset. It’s an extension of your organization’s compliance posture.
Any website that collects, processes, transmits, or stores patient information must be built and managed with HIPAA in mind. That includes obvious data like appointment requests and patient forms—and less obvious data like analytics, chat tools, and third-party plugins that quietly touch PHI.
HIPAA violations don’t usually come from dramatic breaches. They come from small, preventable oversights layered into everyday digital operations. Websites are a frequent offender.
Let’s break down what HIPAA actually requires from a website, where organizations go wrong, and how to build a compliant foundation without turning your marketing efforts into a compliance nightmare.
First, a Quick Reality Check: HIPAA Applies to Websites
HIPAA doesn’t care whether data is collected through an EHR, a PDF form, or a WordPress contact page. If Protected Health Information (PHI) is involved—and your organization is a covered entity or business associate—HIPAA applies.
PHI includes:
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Names combined with health-related context
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Appointment requests tied to services
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Intake forms or symptom descriptions
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Messages submitted through contact forms or chat
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Any data that could reasonably identify a patient and relate to care
If your website collects any of that, compliance is not optional.
Core HIPAA Website Requirements
HIPAA doesn’t prescribe specific technologies. It prescribes safeguards. Your website must support administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that protect PHI.
Here’s what that means in practice.
1. Secure Data Transmission (HTTPS Is Non-Negotiable)
Every page—not just forms—must use HTTPS with a valid SSL/TLS certificate.
Why this matters:
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Prevents data interception during transmission
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Establishes baseline trust for users and browsers
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Is table stakes for HIPAA and modern SEO
If your site still loads over HTTP, compliance conversations end right there.
2. Forms Must Be HIPAA-Compliant by Design
Forms are one of the most common HIPAA failure points.
Key requirements:
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Data must be encrypted in transit and at rest
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Submissions cannot be emailed in plain text
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Storage locations must be secure and access-controlled
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Vendors handling form data must sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)
Using generic form builders without a BAA is a quiet compliance risk that shows up during audits—not before.
3. Third-Party Tools Must Be Carefully Vetted
This is where many healthcare websites accidentally cross the line.
Common problem tools include:
If these tools receive or infer PHI, they must:
Installing marketing tools without healthcare-specific review is one of the fastest ways to create unintentional violations.
4. Access Controls and User Permissions
If PHI is accessible through your website backend, access must be restricted.
Best practices include:
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Role-based access controls
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Unique user logins (no shared accounts)
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Strong password requirements
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Multi-factor authentication where possible
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Regular access reviews
HIPAA violations often stem from internal access mismanagement, not external hacking.
5. Secure Hosting and Infrastructure
Where your website lives matters.
HIPAA-aligned hosting environments should provide:
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Encrypted storage
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Regular security patching
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Firewalls and intrusion detection
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Backup and disaster recovery procedures
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Signed BAA from the hosting provider
Cheap hosting solutions are rarely built for healthcare realities.
6. Privacy Policy and Transparency
Your website should clearly explain:
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What data is collected
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How it is used
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How it is protected
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Who has access to it
This isn’t just about legal language. It’s about patient trust. Healthcare consumers are increasingly privacy-aware, and vague policies raise red flags.
Common HIPAA Website Mistakes We See
A few patterns show up again and again:
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Assuming “we don’t collect PHI” while running detailed contact forms
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Using Google Analytics without proper configuration or safeguards
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Embedding chat tools that store conversation histories externally
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Emailing form submissions to shared inboxes
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Letting marketing tools drive compliance decisions instead of the other way around
Most organizations don’t intend to be non-compliant. They simply inherit digital decisions that weren’t made with healthcare in mind.
Compliance Should Support Growth, Not Block It
HIPAA compliance and effective digital marketing are not opposites. When done correctly, they reinforce each other.
A compliant website:
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Protects patients
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Protects the organization
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Reduces legal and financial risk
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Builds trust with healthcare consumers
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Allows marketing teams to operate confidently instead of cautiously
The goal isn’t to slow things down. It’s to remove uncertainty so your team can move forward without constantly wondering, “Is this allowed?”
Final Thought
Your website is often the first point of contact between patients and your organization. That makes it both a marketing engine and a compliance surface.
HIPAA doesn’t require perfection. It requires diligence, intent, and reasonable safeguards. When websites are built with healthcare realities in mind from the start, compliance stops being a looming threat and becomes a quiet, reliable foundation.
And that’s exactly where it belongs.