Understanding HIPAA for Web Design

1) Start by minimizing PHI exposure

The fastest way to reduce HIPAA risk is to avoid collecting PHI on public-facing pages. Common safe patterns:

• Generic contact forms (“Tell us about your project”) that explicitly prohibit patient identifiers
• Scheduling requests that capture only non-sensitive logistics
• Secure portal handoff for anything clinical

2) Know where HIPAA becomes relevant

HIPAA typically becomes a concern when your product handles protected health information within covered-entity or business-associate contexts. If your site is purely marketing and doesn’t collect PHI, your controls are lighter — but privacy and security still matter.

Even without PHI, tracking pixels and form submissions can unintentionally capture sensitive data. Control your analytics.

4) When you may need BAAs

If vendors process PHI on your behalf (hosting, analytics, form handling, chat), you may need a Business Associate Agreement and HIPAA-appropriate configurations.

• Secure hosting + encrypted storage
• Role-based access and audit logs
• Vendor due diligence + incident response plans

5) Practical checklist

• Do we collect PHI anywhere on the marketing site?
• Are analytics tools configured to avoid sensitive capture?
• Is the privacy notice aligned to actual data flows?
• Do forms have explicit “no patient data” warnings?
• Are accessibility and security tested before launch?