How Do I Make My Squarespace HIPAA Compliant?

Making your Squarespace website HIPAA compliant is a complex process due to the specific requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA sets the standard for protecting sensitive patient data in the USA. Websites that handle protected health information (PHI) must ensure that all necessary security measures are in place to prevent data breaches and maintain patient confidentiality. Here are the steps you need to take to make your Squarespace site HIPAA compliant:

1. Business Associate Agreement (BAA)

Squarespace itself does not sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), which are required under HIPAA for any service provider that handles PHI. Without a BAA, your site cannot be HIPAA compliant. Therefore, if you absolutely must use Squarespace, you need to minimize the risk by ensuring that no PHI is transmitted, stored, or processed through your Squarespace site.

2. Secure Forms

If your website needs to collect sensitive PHI data (such as through contact forms or appointment requests), you should utilize a third-party HIPAA-compliant form service. Popular choices include JotForm, Formstack, and Google Forms with HIPAA compliance features. These services generally offer BAAs and have the necessary security measures in place.

Here are steps to integrate a HIPAA-compliant form on Squarespace: - Sign up for a HIPAA-compliant form service: Ensure you sign a BAA with the form service. - Create the necessary forms: Design your forms within the chosen service, ensuring that they comply with HIPAA requirements. - Embed the forms: Use the embed code provided by the form service, and add it to your Squarespace site using a Code Block.

3. Email Communication

Emails that contain PHI must be encrypted. Squarespace’s built-in email functionality does not offer HIPAA-compliant encryption. As an alternative, consider using a HIPAA-compliant email provider like Google Workspace (with HIPAA BAA signed), Hushmail for Healthcare, or Paubox. Any notifications regarding PHI should be managed through these secure email providers.

4. Secure Hosting and Transmission

Ensure all data transfer to and from your site is encrypted using HTTPS. While Squarespace does provide HTTPS, you must make sure to enable it (typically it is by default). On your website's security panel within Squarespace, ensure the SSL is active.

5. Maintain Data Confidentiality

PHI should never appear directly on your Squarespace site. You must control access to any sensitive data and restrict it to only those who need it to perform their job duties.

6. Employee Training

Train all staff who will manage or interact with PHI via the website about HIPAA regulations and the importance of data security.

7. Audit and Monitoring

Consistent monitoring and logging of access to PHI can help prevent unauthorized access and should be part of ongoing compliance practices.

8. Alternative Platforms

If you are heavily reliant on HIPAA compliance, you might consider using a different website builder that offers more robust HIPAA compliance support. Platforms like WordPress, combined with HIPAA-compliant plugins and hosting providers, offer more flexibility in managing HIPAA compliance.

Conclusion

Because Squarespace does not sign BAAs and does not inherently support HIPAA compliance, it has limitations for businesses requiring such compliance. Utilizing third-party services for secure forms, emails, and other functionalities, training staff, and ensuring encrypted data transmission can help mitigate some issues but may not guarantee full compliance. For absolute certainty, consider alternative platforms that offer comprehensive HIPAA compliance features. Always consult with a legal expert specializing in HIPAA to ensure all steps taken are adequate for your particular situation.