Digital Consent Forms and HIPAA: Checks Before Medical Use

A digital signature or a QR verification code is not evidence that a service meets HIPAA requirements. Before collecting patient information, healthcare organizations need an assessment of the actual workflow, service providers and legal obligations.

Review the complete data flow

Identify where electronic protected health information is created, stored, transmitted and accessed. Include tablets, exported files, backups, sharing services and support access in the assessment, not just the form on screen.

Check safeguards and agreements

HHS guidance on cloud computing explains risk analysis and business associate agreement requirements when a provider handles electronic protected health information on behalf of a covered entity or business associate. Confirm responsibilities, access controls, recovery and contractual requirements before selecting a service.

TrueConsent's scope

TrueConsent provides digital consent records, signatures, sharing and QR verification. This guide does not establish HIPAA compliance for the app or a customer's deployment. Do not use it for protected health information without the required compliance assessment, safeguards and applicable agreements. Review the privacy policy and terms, and obtain qualified healthcare compliance advice.