The challenge with finding HIPAA-compliant CRM software
For businesses in healthcare, the life sciences, and MedTech, HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable. This can make finding a CRM (customer relationship management) a real challenge.
Often times CRM software providers will claim they are HIPAA compliant, but when you dig a little deeper, you discover that they simply offer options that could be used to fulfill a few HIPAA regulations.
The problem is that using tools that only offer half-measures and workarounds will either fall short of what you need or require a lot of extra effort on the part of you and your team.
A basic overview of major CRM vendors and HIPAA compliance
Understanding HIPAA + CRM Software : What you need to know first
What is HIPAA?
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a set of standards that governs the collection, storage, and accessibility of PHI (protected health information) in the US.
Any company or business that handles or processes the PHI of US citizens must adhere to these standards. Check out the HIPAA Compliant Software Guide to learn more about HIPAA compliance requirements.
HIPAA + CRM Software : What you need to know first
Covered Entities and Business Associates
HIPAA categorizes the groups responsible for safeguarding PHI into two broad categories — Business Associates and Covered Entities
- Covered Entities- Covered Entities are businesses, organizations, and individuals that deal directly with patients and patient data. Some common examples include:
- Clinics
- Hospitals
- Private doctors
- Insurance providers
- Medical device manufacturers
- Business Associates- Business Associates are businesses, organizations, and individuals that work with Covered Entities and whose work with those entities may involve access or exposure to sensitive data and PHI. Some common examples include:
- Lawyers
- Accountants
- Software companies with access/exposure to PHI
- Data Processing companies with access/exposure to PHI
HIPAA + CRM Software : What you need to know first
What are Business Associate Agreements?
HIPAA requires that all Covered Entities sign a Business Associates Agreement (BAA) with any business, organization, or individual who may come into contact with PHI as part of their services.
This agreement details the specific responsibilities and procedures for the handling of sensitive data by the parties and, as such, can differ based on the needs, capabilities, and requirements of the parties involved. That said, a BAA must include the following:
- What PHI the Business Associate will be able to access
- What safeguards — physical, technical, and administrative — will be in place to protect the PHI
- The procedures for the storage, transfer, and destruction of PHI
- The procedures to follow in the event of a data breach
- The procedures to follow when terminating the BAA
So then...
Is Zoho CRM HIPAA compliant?
On the surface, Zoho CRM appears to offer all the options a business needs to maintain HIPAA compliance. When you dig a little deeper, however, you discover that the effort and responsibility falls entirely on your administration team.
For businesses with large administration teams that have experience achieving and maintaining HIPAA compliance, this may not be an issue.
For smaller businesses or those with less familiarity with HIPAA requirements, this may be a big challenge.
Achieving and maintaining HIPAA compliance with Zoho CRM
Achieving and maintaining HIPAA compliance with Zoho CRM: The Business Associate Agreement
The first step in achieving HIPAA compliance with Zoho CRM is entering into a BAA. Zoho does not have one on their website, but they do make this easy enough by sending their standard BAA upon email request.
The agreement is pretty straightforward and makes it very clear that all PHI handled within the Zoho CRM platform is the responsibility of the Covered Entity (you).
While this is not uncommon in BAAs, the fact that Zoho also states that they do not encrypt all their data-at-rest hints at the amount of work that will be required to achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance with Zoho CRM.
Achieving and maintaining HIPAA compliance with Zoho CRM
Achieving and maintaining HIPAA compliance with Zoho CRM: Accessing and encrypting PHI
In general, Zoho CRM does not encrypt the data-at-rest stored within its platform.
That said, Zoho will encrypt this data if a customer has entered into a BAA with Zoho, at least in part.
If a Zoho CRM customer is willing and able to go in and select all the fields and modules that will contain PHI, Zoho will encrypt these fields and modules.
Additionally, Zoho CRM can restrict access to these fields and modules in order to prevent that information from being accessed through API or exported during periodic data export procedures carried out in the CRM.
While this means that Zoho can claim the data is stored in a manner compliant with HIPAA guidelines, it requires a lot of work and administrative oversight on behalf of the customer to make this a reality.
Selecting these fields and modules manually is cumbersome and time-consuming. Worse still, it is prone to error, especially if done by an administrator without a lot of experience with Zoho CRM or the proper collection and handling of PHI.
These sorts of mistakes can lead to data breaches that carry heavy penalties for a business’s finances and reputation.
FreeAgent CRM can help you achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance without all the hassles and costs
FreeAgent is the only major HIPAA compliant CRM platform on the market.
With FreeAgent, you get hassle-free HIPAA. That means:
- No third party BAAs
- No extra expense or hidden costs for best-in-class security including data encryption in-transit and at-rest
At FreeAgent CRM, we understand the unique needs and requirements of businesses in healthcare, the life sciences, and Medtech, and we can help you achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance without all the hassle.
Plus, FreeAgent is:
- Easy to use: FreeAgent works like you expect modern apps to work, providing a user experience that feels fresh and familiar. Teams love working in FreeAgent, leading to high adoption and greater ROI.
- User-configurable: FreeAgent can be configured by you to work the way you do. This means you don’t need outside support to add a form field, adjust a CRM automated workflow, or try out a new process.
- Customizable: With FreeAgent, apps, forms, and configurations are all completely customizable, allowing you to capture and connect your data in any way you like.
To see FreeAgent in action, get a demo, and discover for yourself how FreeAgent can help you have workdays full of impact.
