Why a HIPAA-compliant Video Platform is Essential for Today's Healthcare Providers

As a healthcare professional, you're on the front lines of patient care, dedicated to improving outcomes and delivering compassionate treatment. However, your role extends far beyond traditional bedside care in today's increasingly digitized world. You're also a guardian of sensitive patient data, responsible for managing vast quantities of video content.

From patient care videos to telehealth consultations, support group sessions, and therapy sessions, these digital recordings connect you with your patients, especially in remote or underserved areas. They offer a unique glimpse into the patient experience, enabling you to tailor treatment plans, monitor progress, and provide personalized support.

However, there's a pressing issue that worries you. That is of compliance. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that protected health information (PHI) be handled with the utmost care. The stakes are high. HIPAA violations can lead to hefty fines, reputational damage, and a critical loss of patient trust. But security is only half the battle.

Since you have to engage your patients continually, you also need to ensure that patient care videos and other resources are accessible to your patients so that they don't need to book a visit to your facility. So, how do you find a video platform that doesn't just claim to be compliant with HIPAA but is built to handle the unique challenges of hosting and streaming healthcare video content?

It's easy to think that any video platform will do the job. However, healthcare organizations quickly realize that they've made a bad investment. In fact, according to HealthLeaders, making the wrong choice in adopting healthcare video technologies has resulted in poor medical records management, increasing data silos, data duplication, and systems that don't integrate well.

Most video platforms aren't built with healthcare in mind, which is one of the main reasons these issues persist. Even one weak link can lead to significant exposure when managing sensitive data. In this blog, we will discuss the risks associated with using a general-purpose online video platform to manage healthcare video content.

So, without any further ado, let's start.

The Risks of Using Non-compliant Video Platforms

As mentioned earlier, standard video platforms aren't equipped to handle HIPAA's stringent requirements. What seems like a simple solution ends up exposing healthcare organizations to substantial risk. Here are the signs that your video platform is not able to handle sensitive patient data:

Security Limitations

Imagine hosting a patient care video or a telehealth session for your patients, only to realize that you cannot redact the sensitive patient data in video recordings. Patient data is now vulnerable to exposure. Also, if a platform doesn't have rigorous access management capabilities, even internal healthcare and paramedical staff can access content that doesn't concern them. This constitutes a major HIPAA violation. In fact, HHS has slapped a fine of $240,000 on a Yakima-based hospital since its 23 security guards accessed the sensitive data of 419 patients.

Lack of Access Controls

Without granular access management, anyone on your staff can access sensitive patient videos meant for limited eyes. It could be as simple as an administrative employee accidentally opening a patient consultation video recording. This type of accidental exposure has serious regulatory consequences and requires a system that lets you control exactly who sees it. 

Poor Scalability

As telehealth expands, so does the demand for video content. However, standard platforms cannot handle the high volumes of healthcare needs. What happens when a cancer survivor or rehab patient tries to access patient education or aftercare videos, but the platform cannot handle patient demand? Lag, downtime, and inaccessibility issues arise, which is unacceptable when patients depend on these videos for their care. This ultimately hurts patient engagement.

Take the example of a New York-based National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As one of the leading cancer treatment facilities, it faced severe challenges with its existing infrastructure to handle and deliver patient-specific video content securely.

Limited Customization

Each healthcare service provider has unique needs for video distribution, redaction, and retention policies. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work. For instance, a healthcare service provider might need to embed patient care videos on their website or mobile application and have their analytics recorded to understand how patients are engaging with the content. This is impossible unless your healthcare video platform offers flexibility in hosting your healthcare video content.

For healthcare providers, the above issues translate into unneeded risks and significant resource drain. As demand for remote patient care and digital aftercare content grows, finding a sustainable solution that guarantees HIPAA compliance while delivering high-quality experiences to enhance patient engagement and outcomes becomes crucial.

A HIPAA-compliant Video Platform Built for Healthcare Needs

So, what should you look for in a HIPAA-compliant video platform? Here's a brief of the essential features that make a platform suitable for healthcare providers, allowing you to securely share, store securely, and manage patient video content:

Compliance-first Design

At its core, a HIPAA-compliant video platform is a security-first solution. Look for features that focus on three key compliance pillars: access, integrity, and privacy of PHI.

• Data Encryption: The HIPAA Technical Safeguards Security Rule mandates data encryption, both at rest and in transit. The platform should use advanced encryption standards, such as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256) and Transport Layer Security (TLS), to ensure no unauthorized user can access PHI.
• Identity and Access Management: Only authorized personnel should have access to sensitive content. A compliant platform should have an identity and access management (IAM) system that supports single sign-on (SSO) and enables healthcare providers to set granular permissions, ensuring that users can only view the videos they're meant to.
• Audit Logs and Tamper Verification: Audit trails are critical for HIPAA compliance, as they provide visibility into every interaction with patient videos. This means you can track every view, edit, and share of PHI. Some platforms also offer tamper protection, so any unauthorized edits or alterations are flagged.

Granular Access Control

One of the biggest risks with non-compliant platforms is a lack of access management. According to the HIPAA Security Rule, only authorized personnel should be able to access electronic PHI, whether in the form of patient education videos, aftercare videos, telehealth consultation recordings, or therapy sessions.

A compliant video platform provides features for setting user roles and permissions, ensuring that only the right people can access each video. Healthcare providers can assign access based on job function, allowing healthcare providers to define specific user roles for different types of users. For instance, a telehealth video may only be accessible to clinical staff, while patient care videos are available to patients for viewing only.

Customizable Security Policies

Apart from HIPAA, every healthcare organization operates under different policies. A compliant platform allows custom security settings, ensuring that PHI is protected according to each organization's requirements. For instance, a healthcare entity can hide the listing of certain videos, such as Board of Trustees meeting recordings, from their platform users who are not supported to watch them.

Configurable Retention

HIPAA records retention requirements and state-specific retention requirements mandate the retention of electronic health records for a certain number of years. This means that healthcare organizations have no choice but to keep those records for the designated period. However, doing this manually for records of hundreds of thousands of patients would be a hassle. A HIPAA-compliant video platform offers configurable retention, so you don't have to dispose of records manually once the retention period is over.

AI-powered Redaction

Since patient video recordings contain sensitive information, redacting them before making them available to others is essential. This includes faces and spoken words, such as names and other HIPAA identifiers. Failure to redact them constitutes a HIPAA violation, with HSS imposing hefty penalties on the healthcare entity. However, manually redacting a large volume of extensive video recordings is not easy. This is why healthcare video platforms should come with AI-powered redaction capabilities.

Scalable Video Streaming

In healthcare, a scalable solution is vital as video demands grow. Whether it’s patient education resources or telehealth sessions, the platform must ensure reliable access, regardless of traffic levels.

• Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN improves load times and minimizes buffering by storing video files across multiple server locations. This setup ensures smooth video playback even during peak hours, which is crucial for providing uninterrupted access to telehealth or educational content.
• Adaptive Bitrate Streaming: Some platforms offer adaptive bitrate streaming, which adjusts video quality based on the viewer’s internet speed. This is especially important for rural or remote areas with lower bandwidth, allowing patients to access videos without frustration or buffering delays.
• Multi-device Playback: Since not everyone uses a PC or laptop to stream video content, it is essential for a healthcare video platform to ensure that videos play smoothly on all devices, whether they are PCs, laptops, smartphones, or tablets. This way, patients have easy access to care videos, increasing engagement and enabling them to take a more active role in their care.

API and Third-party Integration

A HIPAA-compliant platform isn’t just about security. It should enhance workflow by integrating with existing applications. API support is crucial, allowing video content to be seamlessly embedded into other tools or systems. Also, integration with video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and GoTo Meetings, ensures that telehealth sessions conducted on these platforms can be easily managed and secured on the HIPAA-compliant video platform.

Why a HIPAA-Compliant Video Platform is a Must-Have for Modern Healthcare

Healthcare providers are under increasing pressure to provide remote care and digital resources, with video content leading the way in patient engagement and education. However, with these new opportunities comes a critical responsibility of keeping patient data safe and compliant with HIPAA standards.

A purpose-built HIPAA-compliant video platform gives healthcare organizations the tools to responsibly share, manage, and protect video content. From secure access controls to robust integration options and AI-powered redaction, a compliant platform helps you focus on what matters most—providing excellent patient care.

As healthcare embraces digital transformation, selecting the right video platform can be the difference between maintaining compliance and risking costly violations. VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube is a HIPAA-compliant video platform that offers robust security measures, such as custom security policies, configurable retention, advanced encryption, URL tokenization, and API and third-party integrations with video conferencing platforms and content management systems (CMS) to ensure smooth interoperability among systems. Moreover, you can host videos on a fully-brandable platform with your logo, font, colors, custom CSS, player controls, and more.

People Also Ask

What features make a video platform HIPAA-compliant?

A HIPAA-compliant platform should include data encryption, audit logs, and tamper-proof systems to secure PHI, alongside granular access controls and identity verification to limit access.

Can healthcare providers use general-purpose video platforms?

General-purpose platforms often lack the security and compliance features required for HIPAA, making them unsuitable for patient care videos and PHI management.

How do video platforms prevent unauthorized access?

Look for platforms with IAM, Single Sign-On (SSO), and role-based access control, which prevent unauthorized users from viewing PHI.

Why is a CDN important for video in healthcare?

A CDN supports high-quality, uninterrupted streaming, even during peak times, ensuring that patients and providers experience reliable video access.

Can HIPAA-compliant platforms redact sensitive information?

Yes, some platforms like VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube feature AI-powered redaction to blur or mask patient identities, allowing videos to be safely shared while remaining compliant.