Telehealth, once an emergency solution in the pandemic, has become an expectation. Patients and providers now want the convenience of virtual visits alongside in-person appointments. But not all telehealth platforms are built for healthcare. Also, not all platforms meet compliance and workflow requirements.
While consumer-grade apps are convenient, they fall short of HIPAA mandates. They can connect patients and doctors over video, but they often lack needed features. For healthcare, the two key aspects are compliance and integration.
HIPAA-compliant telehealth platforms can address this gap. These platforms secure PHI, maintain audit trails, and use workflows designed for healthcare. They also enable clinics to extend telehealth services explained across specialties.
In this guide, we'll explore what makes a telehealth platform HIPAA compliant. Let's dive into why eCW users have unique needs, and the key features to evaluate. Doing so can help you decide the best telehealth solution for your practice.
In our previous blog, we covered the key differences between telehealth and telemedicine. Whichever offering your clinic is focused on, it's crucial to understand the following key requirements that make it HIPAA-compliant:
At the core of HIPAA compliance is encryption. HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms must encrypt all data—video, audio, and text—in transit and at rest. This prevents interception by unauthorized parties and ensures sensitive patient data remains secure throughout the session. Secure data transmission protocols like TLS and AES encryption create a safe environment for both providers and patients.
Another compliance requirement is the Business Associate Agreement. A BAA defines how a vendor handles PHI, holding them accountable for maintaining HIPAA standards. Consumer video apps like FaceTime or Zoom in their standard versions do not offer BAAs, making them unsuitable for healthcare. The best HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms for eCW provide signed BAAs as part of their agreements with providers, ensuring legal protection and accountability.
Compliance also requires that platforms maintain audit trails of every session, login, and data exchange. Audit logs document who accessed information, when, and for what purpose. Access controls restrict sensitive data only to authorized staff, further strengthening privacy. Together, audit trails and access controls provide transparency and reduce risk in case of audits or investigations.
By combining encryption, BAAs, and audit controls, HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms meet the rigorous security demands of healthcare. For providers, this compliance is not only about avoiding fines—it’s about building patient trust in virtual care.
For eClinicalWorks users, integration is everything. Without integration, staff must manually enter visit details, notes, and scheduling information into eCW after each telehealth appointment. HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms designed for eCW automate this process. They sync schedules, appointment confirmations, and visit notes directly into the EMR, eliminating duplicate entry and reducing errors.
Some clinics still rely on consumer tools like FaceTime or standard Zoom for virtual care. These platforms do not provide BAAs or audit trails, and they lack the secure architecture needed for healthcare. Using them exposes providers to HIPAA violations. For eCW users, the best HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms for eCW provide not only integration but also regulatory protection that consumer tools cannot offer.
Patients are increasingly aware of privacy issues. When clinics use consumer video tools, patients may question whether their health information is safe. HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms assure patients that their sessions are secure, private, and professionally managed. This builds confidence and enhances adoption of telehealth services explained across clinical specialties.
In short, eCW users need HIPAA compliant platforms not just for compliance, but for efficiency, safety, and patient trust.
One of the biggest barriers to telehealth adoption is requiring patients to download software. The best HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms for eCW provide browser-based or text-link access. Patients simply click a secure link and join the session, reducing friction and improving attendance.
Virtual care often involves more than one provider. Whether it’s a nurse, specialist, or interpreter, telehealth platforms must allow multiple users to join securely. Multi-user functionality ensures that care teams can collaborate without compromising compliance.
Every clinic operates differently. That’s why top platforms allow workflows to be customized for visit types, reminders, and intake forms. Clinics can design workflows for follow-up visits, specialty consults, or behavioral health sessions. Customization ensures that telehealth technology in clinics adapts to patient needs instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all model.
As telehealth adoption grows, scalability becomes critical. The best platforms support multi-location clinics, offering centralized dashboards, role-based permissions, and analytics that allow administrators to track performance across sites.
Perhaps the most important feature for eCW users is integration. Platforms must integrate with scheduling, reminders, and patient data, eliminating the need for duplicate entry. EMR integration ensures that telehealth sessions are not siloed from in-person care, maintaining continuity across the patient journey.
By offering these features, HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms enable providers to scale telehealth examples like chronic care management, preventive visits, and specialty consults—while maintaining compliance and efficiency.
When comparing platforms, eCW users should evaluate compliance, ease of use, and integration. A strong platform is HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant, requires no downloads, and integrates directly with eCW. User experience for both staff and patients should be intuitive, reducing training time and support tickets.
Generic telehealth tools often fall short in healthcare. They may lack BAAs, fail to integrate with EMRs, or provide limited functionality for multi-user visits. Clinics using them face higher administrative burden and increased compliance risks.
Curogram is purpose-built for healthcare, combining HIPAA and SOC 2 compliance with seamless integration into eClinicalWorks. Unlike consumer video apps, Curogram provides audit trails, BAAs, and encryption across all data streams. For patients, the experience is effortless: no app downloads, just a secure link sent via text.
For staff and providers, Curogram offers multi-user functionality, customizable workflows, and centralized dashboards that support multi-location operations. Integration with eCW ensures that schedules, intake forms, reminders, and visit data are automatically synced, eliminating duplicate entry.
Clinics can also extend beyond video visits, using Curogram to manage secure forms, 2-way texting, and automated reminders—all in one platform.
In sum, Curogram is the ideal telehealth partner for the following reasons:
Staff must be trained not only on how to use the platform but also on best practices for secure communication. Training ensures compliance and builds confidence.
No-shows are as much a problem in telehealth as in-person care. Automated reminders sent via text and email increase attendance and reduce wasted provider time.
Gathering feedback helps clinics refine workflows and address issues before they become widespread. Monitoring satisfaction ensures telehealth services explained remain patient-centered.
Analytics provide insights into visit volume, no-show rates, and satisfaction scores. Clinics can use this data to optimize scheduling, staffing, and care delivery.
The result of applying these is telehealth in clinics that is efficient, compliant, and patient-friendly. For eCW users looking for the best HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms for eCW, Curogram delivers a proven solution that scales virtual care while protecting PHI.
It's clear that not all platforms meet the unique needs of healthcare. HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms ensure that virtual care is delivered securely and efficiently. They encrypt data, provide BAAs, and maintain audit trails to protect patient information.
For eCW users, the stakes are even higher. Platforms must integrate seamlessly with eClinicalWorks to avoid inefficiencies. The best platforms offer no-download access, custom workflows, multi-user functionality, and scalability.
Curogram combines all these features into one platform. Looking for the best HIPAA compliant telehealth platform for eCW? Get a quick demo today.