SSL Importance for HIPAA Compliance & Trust

Creating trust is critical for building relationships between doctors and patients. Brand trust is influenced on every digital and physical asset patients and potential patients, from flyer designs to conversations with the front desk manager to websites.

Using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a great foundation for encrypting interactions on healthcare websites that patients may do, such as requesting an appointment, filling out forms, or asking questions. Healthcare websites that have SSL enabled will show their websites starting with “https://” that’s also accompanied by a certificate. 

Here are two big reasons why SSL is important:

1. Improve HIPAA Compliance of Your Medical Website

For the healthcare industry, SSL Certificates are required for HIPAA compliance. Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and other web browsers support the encryption and will show a "Not Secure" or similar message when sites do not have this encryption. SSL encryption keeps the connection between a website visitor and the servers returning the information secure and prevents criminals from reading or modifying information transferred between the two.

The impact for medical facilities negatively affects how their patients view their practice, showing that their site isn't secure to protect their information. Patients enjoy being able to request information or appointments through online forms, and will less likely be willing to engage with the doctor if their personal information isn’t protected.

2. Build Patient Trust Through User Experience

Building relationships where patients and their families, potential patients, and professionals trust your medical brand is a key component in brand marketing. It’s top of mind for consumers since the 2020 COVID pandemic. The days are past when most of your new patients find your business and blindly contact you without checking and researching your practice first.

The same mountain of trust that’s built can fall apart when the information on your website isn’t secure and doesn’t show its security to web visitors. Patients and potential patients are more savvy each year, and pay attention to their mobile experience and their privacy. The SSL encryption brings a level of confidence to that experience.