5 HIPAA Mistakes Small Medical Practices Often Make
For small healthcare practices, HIPAA compliance can feel like a maze of regulations and vague expectations. But that confusion doesn’t exempt you from the law—or the consequences of falling short.
HIPAA was designed to protect patient privacy and promote security in an increasingly digital healthcare system. But for many practices, it’s become a misunderstood—or ignored—set of obligations. This blog breaks down five of the most common misconceptions and clarifies what medical offices really need to know.
Five Common HIPAA Misconceptions
1- “Our EMR vendor handles HIPAA for us.”
They don’t. Cloud-based EMRs like eClinicalWorks or Athenahealth manage their own infrastructure, but you’re still responsible for your local environment: devices, networks, users, and policies. HIPAA compliance is a shared responsibility. If your front-desk team shares login credentials, or your Wi-Fi is unsecured, or your risk assessment is outdated—your EMR doesn’t cover that.
2- “We did an assessment a few years ago—we’re still covered.
HIPAA requires ongoing risk analysis and review. One assessment from 2021 won’t satisfy an auditor today—especially if you’ve changed EHR platforms, added staff, or updated systems. Annual risk assessments are the baseline. Without them, you may be operating with outdated protections and blind spots.
3- “HIPAA only matters if there’s a breach.”
That’s a risky assumption. HIPAA compliance is required at all times—not just after an incident. OCR enforcement can follow complaints, data mishandling reports, or even media exposure. Lack of a breach doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Compliance isn’t reactive. It’s an expectation.
4- “We’re too small to be on anyone’s radar.”
Even small practices in places like Nassau or Suffolk County aren’t exempt. In fact, smaller operations are often more vulnerable simply because they lack full-time IT or compliance staff. HIPAA doesn’t scale by organization size—it applies wherever PHI is handled.
5- “HIPAA is about paperwork, not IT.”
The HIPAA Security Rule is all about IT.
Device encryption
User access controls
Regular backups
Audit logging
Breach response protocols
If these aren’t part of your day-to-day IT practice, you’re not fully compliant.
What You Actually Need to Do – HIPAA Compliance
- Conduct a HIPAA security risk assessment (use the HHS SRA Tool or a trusted partner)
- Document policies for access control, device use, and breach response
- Encrypt all devices that handle ePHI
- Train staff annually on HIPAA expectations
- Partner with a local IT provider that understands healthcare
HIPAA Compliance Isn’t Optional—But It Can Be Manageable
Getting compliant doesn’t mean going it alone. With the right support, most small practices can resolve their HIPAA gaps in a structured, affordable way. The first step is knowing what’s expected—and where your risks are.
Get Help: Schedule a HIPAA Readiness Consult
Don’t rely on assumptions. Let’s walk through it together.
LI Tech Solutions helps healthcare practices across Long Island identify their risk posture, implement safeguards, and stay audit-ready—without drowning in jargon.
Explore Our HIPAA Compliance Services →
