The growth of telemedicine has empowered medical professionals to reach and help patients from nearly anywhere. This necessitated remote access to devices, including specialized medical programs and hardware, so doctors, clinicians, and other professionals can access the tools and information they need at any time.
Remote access is now commonplace in healthcare, particularly for IT support, clinical workflows, and vendor maintenance. However, with that ease of access comes risks, including the potential exposure of electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI).
Controlling and managing secure access to ePHI is an important part of HIPAA compliance, both for on-site and remote work. As such, any medical organization seeking remote access solutions must ensure that its users can securely access their work without compromising ePHI security.
With that in mind, let’s examine how HIPAA regulates remote access, the safeguards required to protect ePHI in medical environments, and what to look for in remote access solutions used in healthcare settings.
When is remote access regulated under HIPAA?
HIPAA applies when remote access is used to store, transmit, process, or display electronic Protected Health Information. This applies to all device types, including Windows and Mac desktop computers, Android devices, and iOS devices.
Remote access is regulated under HIPAA in several situations, including:
When clinicians remotely access EHR or clinical applications.
Connecting to or supporting medical devices that display patient data.
Remote clinician access from laptops, tablets, or mobile devices.
Vendor or IT support sessions where ePHI is visible on screen.
How does the HIPAA Security Rule govern remote access to ePHI?
HIPAA requires reasonable and appropriate safeguards to protect ePHI, including administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. Whenever a medical organization requires remote access, HIPAA compliance is the top priority, as protecting patient information is mandatory.
HIPAA is risk-based, meaning it assesses threats to the privacy and security of ePHI, the likelihood of those threats occurring, and their potential impact. It’s also technology-agnostic, applying the same standards across all devices, and does not certify tools or platforms. Instead, organizations need to demonstrate HIPAA compliance across all their tools and processes to confirm they have the required safeguards in place.
1. Administrative safeguards required for remote access to ePHI
To maintain HIPAA compliance for remote access, organizations must implement administrative safeguards. This requires a combination of governance and documentation to ensure policies are in place to protect sensitive data, and must explicitly include remote access paths to ePHI, including who can remotely access systems containing it and under what conditions, including:
Risk analysis that includes remote access, its associated risks, and how they will be addressed.
Access approval and revocation processes to ensure only authorized users can access ePHI at any time.
Vendor access governance and BAAs to manage third-party access and security.
Documentation and review to regularly verify that the safeguards are working as intended.
Administrative safeguards also include workforce training. When handled carelessly, remote sessions can lead to accidental ePHI exposure, so anyone with remote access needs to be properly trained on how to securely connect without risking privacy.
Additionally, if any vendors are granted remote access to ePHI, they must sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) that require them to comply with applicable security practices and standards.
2. Technical safeguards that protect ePHI during remote access
Alongside administrative safeguards, technical safeguards must also be in place to ensure that ePHI is protected with strong cybersecurity. Technical safeguards are how organizations enforce HIPAA protections in practice, so having robust security tools in place is absolutely essential.
Technical safeguards for HIPAA compliance include:
Unique user identification and role-based access to ePHI to ensure only verified, validated users can access health information and other personal data.
Multi-factor authentication for remote access to verify users before allowing them to connect, and reducing the risk of compromised accounts gaining access.
Encryption of ePHI in transit and at rest, which protects data from unauthorized interception or exposure.
Audit logs that record remote access to systems containing ePHI, keeping clear records of who accessed what information and when to demonstrate oversight and identify suspicious behavior.
Session controls that limit unnecessary exposure of ePHI during support or admin access, thus keeping data protected even during remote sessions.
3. Physical and device safeguards that still apply to remote access
Physical devices also require safeguards for HIPAA-compliant remote access. When medical professionals remotely connect to their work computers, those computers should still meet all their compliance requirements, after all; otherwise, they wouldn’t be meeting their compliance requirements to begin with.
HIPAA requirements for physical devices include features such as screen locks, advanced device security, and the ability to securely manage endpoints that access ePHI. Companies also need a way to quickly address lost or stolen devices that contain or can access ePHI, such as remote locking and remote wiping. This helps ensure that sensitive data remains secure both on its home devices and when remotely accessed.
While Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policies have become increasingly popular, they can also be insecure without appropriate controls and security tools. If medical organizations want to enable remote work on any device, they must implement tools and controls to ensure those devices remain secure at all times.
How to choose a remote access approach that supports HIPAA requirements
When you need HIPAA-compliant remote access, there are some best practices you can follow. Not all approaches are equally secure, so choose your methods wisely to ensure security and IT compliance.
First and foremost, avoid unmanaged remote desktop tools. Without proper management and security, these are unreliable and insecure, leaving accounts and data at risk. Similarly, each user should have a unique account; sharing accounts that access ePHI complicates oversight and monitoring, and if one user leaves, they can still access the shared account. If vendors need access, multi-factor authentication and logging are essential for verifying users and tracking activity.
It’s also important to use a platform that doesn’t connect systems containing ePHI to the internet, as that can potentially expose them to threats and vulnerabilities. You need an access model that bridges devices without compromising security and without copying or storing ePHI.
The best approaches use managed remote access to controlled systems, keeping ePHI centralized and secure. Secure remote access allows users to connect to managed systems containing ePHI without unnecessarily copying, storing, or distributing that data, helping organizations better control and monitor access.
Additionally, if you need to grant vendors access, make sure you can set time limits on that access and log every session. This helps keep devices secure and provides accountability when vendors connect.
What must healthcare organizations be able to prove about remote access to ePHI?
Maintaining HIPAA compliance requires proof. During a HIPAA audit, auditors will examine several elements to determine if your cybersecurity meets HIPAA’s regulatory requirements. These include:
Physical security for devices and equipment.
Digital safeguards for accounts and networks.
Staff training and security awareness.
Access controls to ensure only authorized users can connect.
Incident response plans are designed to respond quickly in the event of a breach and address damages.
As such, medical organizations need to maintain logs and documentation to show who accessed ePHI, when they accessed it, and, ideally, why they needed it. These logs can determine whether an incident constitutes a breach that must be reported or is a routine work activity.
When investing in a remote access solution, medical organizations should look for a platform that provides secure access and authentication, as required for HIPAA compliance, along with session logs and reporting to support efficient incident response. HIPAA compliance isn’t just about preventing breaches, but also about being able to respond to them swiftly and effectively, and audits will reflect those requirements.
How Splashtop supports secure, auditable remote access to systems with ePHI
Medical organizations need a remote access solution that’s powerful, reliable, and above all, secure. Any remote access software used in healthcare environments must support strong security controls to help protect ePHI and reduce regulatory risk.
Splashtop provides centralized, secure remote access designed to help healthcare IT teams enforce consistent access controls and maintain visibility into remote sessions involving systems that contain ePHI.
With Splashtop, users can securely access their work devices from anywhere, on any device. This empowers medical professionals to access notes, test results, and specialized equipment while working remotely without compromising security or efficiency.
Splashtop also keeps accounts secure with features such as multi-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of verification when users connect and ensures only authorized users can access ePHI.
Plus, with Splashtop’s comprehensive audit logs, users can access detailed records that show who accessed what information and when they did it. This helps maintain compliance and accountability, support investigations, and pass audits.
HIPAA-compliant remote access is possible
HIPAA requires strict controls over ePHI, but that doesn’t mean remote access is impossible. With the right visibility, safeguards, and documentation, it’s possible to securely work from anywhere with a remote access solution while adhering to HIPAA’s security requirements and without sacrificing speed or quality.
Healthcare organizations seeking remote access programs should evaluate their options and select a solution that enables consistent remote access management without compromising security or increasing operational complexity. With a solution like Splashtop, healthcare IT teams can standardize remote access workflows while improving access control, session visibility, and oversight.
Ready to see how easy and secure Splashtop can be? Get started today with a free trial.
