HIPAA & Healthcare AI
Generative AI is transforming patient care, but it also introduces massive risks for Protected Health Information (PHI).
The BAA Requirement
If you use a third-party LLM (like OpenAI or Anthropic) to process patient data, they become a Business Associate. You must sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with them.
Note: Most "Free" or "Pro" tiers of AI services do not offer a BAA. You typically need an Enterprise plan.
De-identification is Key
The safest way to use AI in healthcare is to ensure PHI never reaches the model provider in the first place.
Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, there are two methods for de-identification:
- Expert Determination: A statistician certifies the risk is very small.
- Safe Harbor: Removing 18 specific identifiers (Names, Dates, SSNs, IP addresses, etc.).
Railguard's HIPAA Gateway
Railguard acts as a HIPAA-compliant gateway between your EHR (Electronic Health Record) system and the LLM.
The Redaction Workflow
Doctor dictates notes: "Patient John Doe (DOB 01/01/80) presents with..."
Railguard detects and redacts PHI: "Patient [NAME] (DOB [DATE]) presents with..."
Redacted prompt is sent to LLM for summarization.
Railguard re-identifies the response before showing it to the doctor.
Secure Your Healthcare AI
Learn how to deploy GenAI in clinical settings without violating HIPAA.