Google Chat HIPAA Compliance Explained

Google Chat is a popular communication platform used by many healthcare organizations, but is it HIPAA compliant? The answer is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Google Chat is designed to meet the needs of businesses, not specifically healthcare organizations. However, Google offers a Business version of Google Chat that includes additional features and security settings to help meet HIPAA requirements.

To be HIPAA compliant, Google Chat requires a Business version, which includes features like data loss prevention and audit logs. This ensures that sensitive patient information is protected and can be tracked in case of a security breach.

Making Google Chat HIPAA compliant requires some configuration. System administrators can use Google's HIPAA Implementation Guide to set up services covered by the Addendum to be compliant.

The Guide recommends disabling all users by domain, unless required for other Workspace services. This is one of the key steps to take.

Limiting authorized employees to Organizational Units or Chat groups is also crucial for HIPAA compliance. This helps restrict access to sensitive information.

Whitelisting trusted external participants and blocking all others is another essential step. This prevents unauthorized access to sensitive information.

To manage what information can be shared externally, system administrators need to set up controls. Restricting link sharing when external sharing is turned on is also a good practice.

The recommended visibility level for each Organizational Unit should be selected carefully. This ensures that sensitive information is only accessible to authorized personnel.

Data Loss Prevention Rules should be set up, especially for Enterprise subscriptions. This helps prevent sensitive information from being shared or leaked.

Disabling the option to allow third-party apps and integrations is also a good practice. This reduces the risk of malware attacks and other security breaches.

Here is a summary of the HIPAA Compliance Checklist for Google Chat:

To make Google Chat HIPAA compliant, you'll need to follow Google's recommendations outlined in their HIPAA Implementation Guide. This guide provides a checklist of steps to take, including disabling all users by domain, limiting authorized employees to Organizational Units, and whitelisting trusted external participants.

Here are the key steps to take:

Once you've completed these steps, you'll need to request a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from Google. You can do this by following the instructions on Google's support page: https://support.google.com/a/answer/3407074?hl=en.

Signing a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Google does not automatically make your Google Workspace HIPAA compliant. Google clearly states that customers are responsible for ensuring their use of Google services complies with HIPAA.

You may think that a BAA is all you need to worry about, but it's not that simple. Google says that Protected Health Information (PHI) is allowed only in a subset of Google services.

To achieve HIPAA compliance, you need to configure these services properly, which requires IT administrators' involvement. This ensures that PHI is properly protected.

Google Workspace can be HIPAA compliant, but it's not compliant right out of the box. You need to take extra steps to secure your account and follow Google's guidelines.

You can obtain a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from Google by following the instructions on their support page.

Google makes it easy to accept the BAA, and you can find the instructions here: https://support.google.com/a/answer/3407074?hl=en

Signing a Google BAA is essential for organizations that store Protected Health Information (PHI) in G Suite apps.

If your organization pays Google to use its Google Apps for Business services, your system administrator can request a BAA.

Once you sign your Google BAA, you'll need to ensure that your G Suite services are properly configured to handle PHI.

You can read more about how to make your G Suite Services and Gmail HIPAA compliant by clicking on a HIPAA educational whitepaper.

Signing a BAA does not automatically make your Google Workspace HIPAA compliant.

You need to make sure your account is secure and configured correctly to handle PHI.

Google CLEARLY states that customers are responsible for ensuring that they use Google services in compliance with HIPAA.

Here are some steps to obtain a BAA:

Google Chat is often compared to other services like Slack and Microsoft Teams, but it's worth noting that Google Chat is specifically designed for Google Workspace users.

Google Chat has some features that set it apart from other services, such as its integration with Google Drive and Google Docs.

One of the main advantages of Google Chat is its scalability, allowing it to handle large teams and complex conversations.

Google Chat also has a more streamlined interface compared to some of its competitors.

Google Chat's mobile app is also highly rated, making it easy to stay connected on the go.

In contrast, services like Slack and Microsoft Teams require additional setup and configuration to achieve the same level of integration with other tools.