HIPAA compliance extends to your use of scheduling tools. If you’re a healthcare professional or provider, then all the software you use should enable you to comply with the United States federal law to protect data privacy and accessibility.
Let’s review some of the top HIPAA-compliant appointment scheduling software you can use for your practice.
Top 5 HIPAA-Compliant Scheduling Solutions:
1. Acuity Scheduling
If you’re looking for a cleanly designed scheduling app for HIPAA compliance, look no further than Acuity Scheduling. The software has a modern, clutter-free interface, giving you a clear overview of your calendar, client list, invoices, and exportable/importable reports. Make sure you subscribe to Acuity’s Powerhouse plan to access and utilize its HIPAA-compliant features.
Acuity lets you:
- Create appointment types to promote the services you offer
- Create confirmation emails and templates for SMS reminders
- Customize the booking length
- Accept Stripe, Square, and Paypal payments
- Entice customers to book with gift cards, packages, and subscriptions
- Design and share your scheduling page
Price per month:
- Powerhouse: $49
- Free trial: 7 days
2. ClinicSense
ClinicSense is a practice management platform for clinics, wellness centers, and part-time or full-time therapists. You can use the software to record your SOAP notes, create invoices, and send email newsletters. It also provides a HIPAA-compliant scheduling service that’s very easy to set up on your own. Best of all, users say that the platform has an excellent customer service team.
With ClinicSense, you can:
- Provide clients with an easy way to self-schedule appointments
- Text clients a booking link with a message to book at their convenience
- Integrate online booking with Facebook and Instagram.
- Schedule breaks or days off
- Indicate if you’re accepting new clients
- Screen booking requests
- Add extra time at the end of each appointment
- Control who can book appointments for you
- Restrict coworkers from seeing your schedule
Price per month:
- Lite: $39
- Standard: $69
- Premium: $129
- Free trial: 14 days
3. Sign In Scheduling
Formerly known as 10to8, Sign In Scheduling offers a professional way to book online appointments. Easy to set up, the software also provides reliable and timely customer service. Sign In Scheduling’s free version is already satisfactory for scheduling consultations, but you must upgrade to Pro to enable its HIPAA security tools.
Sign In Scheduling features include:
- Automated reminders via email, voice, or SMS.
- Customizable booking page
- Shareable calendar
- Class scheduling and attendance tracking
- Analytics and reports on bookings, payments, messages, satisfaction responses, and more
- Android and iOS apps to manage visitors
- Take online payments via Stripe
- Integration with Zoom, MS Teams, Zapier, Google, Office 365, Salesforce and more
- Multi-site, multi-timezone, and multiple rooms booking
- API
Price per year:
- Pro: $612/Year
- Free trial: 14 days
4. SimplePractice
Therapists who are looking for HIPAA-compliant scheduling solutions should check out SimplePractice. Known for being a complete practice management software, it also offers a built-in appointment scheduling tool to display as a widget on your website. However, the online appointment features are only available on its Essential and Plus plans.
SimplePractice enables you to:
- Customize the type and length of appointments
- Receive appointment request notifications
- Review each client’s profile, including billing items and medical reports
- Check your invoices and billing documents
- View your user activity
- Inspect account analytics and reports showing your income, outstanding balance, number of appointments, and notes
- Submit claims, review statuses, and record settlements for insurance payments
Price per month:
- Essential: $69
- Plus: $99
- Custom: starts at $158
- Free trial: 30 days
5. Vagaro
Vagaro is one of the HIPAA-compliant scheduling apps for therapists, chiropractors, nutritionists, mental health professionals, and individual health practitioners working in the beauty, wellness, and fitness industries. One of its best features is its personalized booking app that you can customize with your branding.
Vagaro’s scheduling features allow you to:
- Accept, reschedule, or reject appointments
- Give a lead time to limit the period customers can book appointments
- Display your cancellation policy
- Charge a fee for no-shows and cancellations
- Provide clients a secure way to make online payments, add tips, and sign
- Allow clients to upload photos and liability documents before their appointment
- Set a deposit amount on online bookings
- Create a booking widget for your business or each staff member, which you can display on your website
Price per month:
- One location: $25-75, depending on the number of calendars
- Enterprise/Multiple Locations: Custom
- Free trial: 30 days
Choose HIPAA-Compliant Scheduling Tools
Remember, not all popular online scheduling tools are HIPAA compliant. While these tools may offer convenience, ease of use, and an affordable price, the safeguards they employ to protect sensitive health data are not as robust as those of HIPAA-compliant solutions. As a result, you risk exposing your client’s data to cybercriminals for identity theft, ransomware, and other illegal activities.
As an entity that’s legally compelled to ensure the secure and safe handling of PHI, you might also face hefty legal and financial penalties if a federal investigation finds that you were negligent. It’s safer to comply with HIPAA across all aspects of your operations.
