Based on our research, Braze can be HIPAA compliant, but its business associate agreement does not cover many everyday healthcare communication cases.
Braze is a customer engagement platform that enables companies to create and deliver personalized messaging and experiences to their customers across a range of channels, including email, mobile push notifications, SMS, and in-app messaging.
With Braze, companies can orchestrate and automate customer interactions while also providing insights and analytics to help them understand and optimize their customer engagement strategies.
Yes, Braze will sign a business associate agreement.
The Braze BAA covers the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI), stating:
"Notwithstanding the inclusion of PHI in the definition of Restricted Information in the Agreement, Customer may submit Protected Health Information to the Braze Services when done pursuant to this BAA."
Braze places strict limitations on the types of PHI its platform can handle. It excludes medical records and medical images and prohibits use for patient treatment purposes.
Their terms state:
"Braze Services shall be used exclusively for engagement, retention, customer relationship management, and marketing purposes, and is not intended to be relied upon as part of patient treatment."
Additionally, Braze warns:
"Customer shall not send any Messages through the Braze Services that contain diagnoses, test results or similar sensitive medical information, and Braze disclaims any liability for violations of HIPAA arising from Customer's use of the Braze Services to send Messages containing such medical information."
These restrictions exclude common healthcare use cases like appointment reminders, prescription refill messages, and test result notifications.
Braze can be HIPAA compliant, but its business associate agreement does not cover many everyday healthcare communication cases.
Paubox has developed a HIPAA compliant email and texting solution that makes it easier for providers to connect with their patients. It eliminates the need for third-party apps or logins, allowing patients to receive secure, encrypted texts and emails directly on their phones.
HIPAA sets national standards for protecting the privacy and security of certain health information, known as protected health information (PHI).
HIPAA is designed to protect the privacy and security of individuals’ health information and to ensure that healthcare providers and insurers can securely exchange electronic health information. Violations of HIPAA can result in significant fines and penalties for covered entities.
HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. It also applies to business associates of these covered entities. These are entities that perform certain functions or activities on behalf of the covered entity.
A BAA is a legally binding contract establishing a relationship between a covered entity under HIPAA and its business associates.