HIPAA for dermatology practices
Dermatology practices handle clinical photography, teledermatology sessions, pathology integrations, and marketing consent workflows that create unique HIPAA obligations. Whether you already work with a compliance vendor or are evaluating for the first time, Patient Protect adds a security-first layer built for dermatology.
The real risk
Before-and-after photos, dermoscopy images, and wound documentation are ePHI the moment they include identifying features. Storage on personal phones, unencrypted cloud folders, or shared drives without access controls is a breach waiting to happen.
Virtual consultations, store-and-forward imaging, and asynchronous dermatology platforms all transmit ePHI. Each platform requires a signed BAA, end-to-end encryption, and documented security configurations.
Biopsy reports, lab results, and pathology consultations flow between your practice and external labs. Each exchange point requires a BAA and encrypted transmission. Most practices don't audit these data flows.
Using patient photos for social media, websites, or marketing materials requires specific written authorization separate from the general consent for treatment. HIPAA authorization for marketing use has strict requirements that generic consent forms rarely satisfy.
What HIPAA requires
Clinical Photography Security
Encryption for all clinical images at rest and in transit. Access controls on photo storage. Documented workflows for image capture, transfer, and retention. No personal device storage without BYOD policies.
Teledermatology Compliance
Signed BAAs with every teledermatology platform. End-to-end encryption for video and store-and-forward imaging. Documented security configurations per platform.
Lab & Pathology Vendor Management
BAA tracking for every lab, pathology service, and diagnostic partner. Encrypted transmission of biopsy reports and results. Vendor risk assessment for each external integration.
Marketing Authorization
HIPAA-compliant authorization forms for marketing use of patient images. Separate from treatment consent. Documented revocation process. Training for staff on authorization requirements.
How Patient Protect helps
SRA wizard evaluates image capture devices, storage locations, transmission methods, and access controls — specific to dermatology workflows.
Full BAA lifecycle management for pathology labs, teledermatology platforms, and imaging services — with renewal alerts and status tracking.
Auto-generated policies covering clinical photography, marketing authorization, image retention, and device management — customized to your practice.
Training modules covering clinical photography compliance, marketing authorization requirements, and secure image handling workflows.
How we compare
Every major compliance platform covers risk assessments and policy templates. The difference is what happens after the paperwork is done.
10 questions to ask any platform
Risk assessment that satisfies §164.308(a)(1)
A readiness quiz is not a risk analysis.
Full SRA wizard mapped to NIST CSF with live scoring
Auto-generated policies with workforce acknowledgment
HIPAA requires documented proof your staff reviewed them.
48 policies from your risk profile, versioned acknowledgment
Staff training with delivery tracking
§164.308(a)(5) — sending a PDF is not sufficient.
80+ modules, completion tracking, audit-ready records
Full BAA lifecycle management
Expired BAAs are a top enforcement target.
E-signature, renewal alerts, Vendor Risk Scanner
Patient Protect answers yes to all 10.
Ask every vendor on your list. Then compare.
Pricing
No contracts · No setup fees · Cancel anytime
Core
$39/mo
Risk assessments, policies, BAA management, training, and compliance scoring.
Pro
$99/mo
Everything in Core plus secure messaging, breach intelligence, live diagnostics, and AI compliance assistant.
FAQ
Yes. Clinical photographs that include identifying features — face, distinctive marks, tattoos, or any feature that could identify the patient — are protected health information under HIPAA. Even cropped or de-identified images may still qualify if they can be linked back to the patient through metadata or context.
Only with proper safeguards — full-disk encryption, passcode lock, documented BYOD policy, and no personal cloud backup of clinical images. Many practices use dedicated clinical photography apps that encrypt and upload directly to a secured EHR. Patient Protect's risk assessment evaluates your actual image handling workflow.
Patient Protect starts at $39/month with no contracts — covering risk assessments, policy generation, BAA tracking for labs and platforms, staff training, and continuous compliance monitoring. Whether you use it alongside your existing compliance partner or as a standalone solution.
Patient Protect is intuitive, proactive, and affordable — exactly what small clinics like ours need to keep patient data safe and stay on the right side of HIPAA.
Next step
See your real exposure in five minutes. Free risk assessment — no login required.
