The HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules specifically outline how electronic protected health information (ePHI), i.e. that which is accessed or stored electronically, should be handled. Covered entities (CEs) and Business Associates (BAs) must implement safeguards to protect the confidentiality and integrity of ePHI.
What do HIPAA Form Companies do?
Healthcare organizations commonly use web-based forms to efficiently collect valuable ePHI from patients, and this data must be collected using HIPAA-compliant online forms hosted upon a HIPAA compliant infrastructure.
HIPAA-compliant online forms may be used to perform tasks such as onboarding new patients, scheduling appointments, collecting payments, collecting consent forms, and conducting surveys.
Large healthcare providers often employ in-house personnel to create secure, HIPAA-compliant online forms. However, many CEs turn to third-party, HIPAA-compliant form companies to construct robust web forms for them.
Choosing a HIPAA Form Company for your healthcare organization
Searching online for a ‘top HIPAA Form Company’ will probably leave you inundated with options. So, how do you choose the best form company to help your healthcare organization to generate HIPAA-compliant forms?
There are many things to consider when choosing a HIPAA-compliant web form service, and it is of paramount importance that you verify the security measures that will be put in place to protect any captured data. Your chosen HIPAA form company should be willing to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) before collecting any protected health information (PHI).
To help you with your decision, we have formulated a list of the top 10 HIPAA Form Companies.
- JotForm
- ONLYOFFICE Docs
- Formstack
- Google Forms
- Logiforms
- DocuSign
- Cognito Forms
- 123FormBuilder
- MedForward
- FormAssembly
1. JotForm
JotForm provides CEs with professional-looking HIPAA-compliant online forms and a BAA, ensuring the safe and efficient collection of PHI. As a leading provider of HIPAA-compliant forms, JotForm allows healthcare providers to effortlessly construct HIPAA forms using ready-to-use templates, which can be customized to meet the specific needs of each client.
Data collected using a JotForm-generated form is automatically encrypted to protect a patient’s privacy and confidentiality. These forms are also compatible with any smartphone, computer, or tablet, improving ease of use for patients.
2. ONLYOFFICE Docs
ONLYOFFICE Docs is an online office suite that can be integrated into any file-sharing environment or used as a component in any web application to enable editing and real-time co-authoring for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and fillable forms, with high format compatibility. The ONLYOFFICE suite complies with all provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and provides the necessary technological safeguards for HIPAA compliance. Moreover, it’s compatible with ISO 27001 and HDS.
Healthcare organizations can use ONLYOFFICE forms (OFORMs) to create and fill in records, patient files, datasheets, questionnaires, and any other standard documents, such as HIPAA privacy authorization forms. The ONLYOFFICE form library contains ready-to-use templates that any healthcare organization can adapt according to its requirements.
3. Formstack
Formstack offers a fully customizable and versatile approach to HIPAA online form building. To adhere to HIPAA compliance regulations, the company will either provide healthcare professionals with a standard BAA agreement or work to create a customized BAA to meet the needs of its clients.
Formstack provides its clients with advanced security features, including data encryption, audit-logging, user-level permissions, and security maintenance.
4. Google Forms
Google’s popularity makes it a likely choice by healthcare professionals seeking an online form generator. However, does Google offer its clients a HIPAA-compliant solution? Well, the short answer is yes, as Google Forms is part of G-Suites Google Drive, which is HIPAA compliant. However, there must be an appropriate BAA in place and a platform supporting compliant use. As a survey administration tool, healthcare organizations can use Google Forms to manage event registrations, make surveys, and conduct opinion polls.
5. Logiforms
Logiforms allows its clients to tailor-make forms to address their specific needs using an intuitive drag and drop interface. The company ensures that all ePHI is securely collected and hosted via its HIPAA compliant features, such as 256 Bit SSL encryption, 256 Bit AES data at rest encryption, and end to end TLS/HTTPS cipher suite.
Logiforms services go beyond mere data collection, offering their clients solutions to automate their businesses. An automation tool suite allows healthcare organizations to schedule tasks and establish trigger actions to run when data is changed or a new form is submitted.
6. DocuSign
DocuSign allows healthcare professionals to step away from the paperwork and focus on their patients. DocuSign has a strong global customer base, including 14 of the top 15 medical device companies and 12 of the top 14 pharmaceutical companies. DocuSign ensures that its clients meet HIPAA compliance requirements, as captured PHI is encrypted and authenticated. Confidentiality is ensured via AES-256 standard encryption of documents stored within the company’s ISO 27001-certified and SOC2 audited data centers.
7. Cognito Forms
Cognito Forms provides healthcare professionals with a cost-effective means of creating HIPAA-compliant forms for scheduling appointments, registering new patients, constructing patient satisfaction surveys, and collecting online payments. For clients signing up for their ‘Enterprise’ plan, Cognito Forms offers unlimited forms and unlimited entries.
8. 123FormBuilder
A popular online form company, 123FormBuilder allows healthcare organizations to digitize and automate their processes while complying with all the necessary HIPAA regulations. Their selection of predefined templates can be fully customized to meet the needs of the client.
9. MedForward
MedForward is a medically focused company that provides healthcare organizations with marketing consulting services and digital tools to improve their efficiency and growth via their online content. Founded in 2007, MedForward offers HIPAA-compliant forms that are encrypted in transit and at rest, protecting the privacy of patient’s sensitive health information.
10. FormAssembly
FormAssembly provides healthcare professionals with an online form builder and data collection platform through its ‘Compliance Cloud’ service. Clients can expect a comprehensive initiation with an Implementation Program, providing privacy and security training and responsive ongoing support. FormAssembly delivers enhanced security and privacy controls and powerful integrations to tools, such as PayPal, Salesforce, and Stripe.
Bonus:
Formsite
Healthcare organizations that hold an Enterprise level service account with Formsite can request a BAA and apply HIPAA-compliant settings to ensure full compliance. Formsite employs security measures, such as two-factor authentication and secure links to documents, to help its clients securely store and control access to collected PHI. The company also provides powerful integrations with third-party services, such as Salesforce and Google Sheets, although healthcare organizations should ensure that they obtain BAAs from these services to maintain HIPAA compliance.
How Can Atlantic.Net Help?
Amid the current global COVID-19 pandemic, converting traditional healthcare paper forms to digital ones is more important than ever. Digitization of patient forms helps to limit physician-patient contact and halt infection chains. However, it is imperative that online forms that collect and store sensitive patient health information adhere to HIPAA regulations. Here, we have discussed the importance of choosing a HIPAA-compliant form company and highlighted our top 10 options. However, you must also ensure that you find a fully HIPAA-compliant hosting platform that prioritizes security, privacy, and compliance.
This is where Atlantic.Net can help by providing cloud hosting solutions that are customized to meet the needs of your organization. If you are a healthcare organization in the market for a managed hosting solution, contact our sales team today to find out more information about what we can offer you.
