# Medical IT security gaps to fix in 2026 > Medical practices expect higher tech and compliance costs. This guide explains how to address key HIPAA security gaps and plan a staged roadmap for 2026 readiness. Source: https://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/healthcare-it-compliance-update --- 1 million+ businesses helped. Get advice Get Free Advice [Home](https://www.softwareadvice.com/) / [Resources](https://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/) / Compliance Under Pressure: Preparing To Revamp Patient Data Security With 2025 HIPAA Revisions # Compliance Under Pressure: Preparing To Revamp Patient Data Security With 2025 HIPAA Revisions By: [Lisa Morris](https://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/author/lisa-morris/) on April 6, 2026 On this page: - Budget for healthcare IT compliance as costs rise - Assess your current security posture and fix high‑impact gaps - Use HIPAA privacy and security rules to target improvements - Modernize patient access without exposing patient data - Use AI to strengthen patient data security today and plan for tomorrow - Build a staged 2026 roadmap for HIPAA readiness - Choose HIPAA compliant software with verifiable controls - Prove progress with shared KPIs - Sequence leadership actions to fund and sustain momentum Security has moved to the front of the buying process while many practices still have back‑office gaps to fix. Most expect higher spending on software/technology and on regulatory efforts this year, even as teams report work ahead on encryption, MFA, vulnerability testing, and incident response to meet the proposed 2025 HIPAA privacy and security rules. **Why it matters:** Budgets are aligning with risk. Security is rated “extremely important (critical)” by a large share of medical software buyers, yet many practices still need upgrades to patient data security controls. Treat 2026 as an execution year: pair budget planning with a staged roadmap for encryption, MFA, asset inventory, scanning/testing, 72‑hour restore capabilities, and patient‑access modernization—with AI governance built in. ## Budget for healthcare IT compliance as costs rise Healthcare IT compliance and patient data security are top of mind on the leadership agenda this year, as most practices are bracing for increased spending on technology and regulatory compliance in 2026.    At the same time, buyers now score security higher than integration, support, or AI features—signaling active preference for HIPAA compliant software during vendor shortlisting. **Takeaway**: Budget signals and buyer priorities are aligned. Convert that alignment into a concrete plan for HIPAA‑relevant controls instead of scattered tool purchases. ## Assess your current security posture and fix high‑impact gaps Top software challenges include integration, adopting advanced tech, improving workflows, and ensuring cybersecurity/data privacy. While security may not top the list numerically, the regulatory timeline raises its urgency. Telehealth adds exposure when general‑purpose video is used instead of healthcare‑specific platforms, and EHR integration issues can fragment audit trails. Satisfaction with security is mixed—consistent with uneven adoption of basics like encryption, MFA, and logging. Close the fundamentals across EHR, practice management, telehealth, and patient‑facing experiences before layering on new tools. ## Use HIPAA privacy and security rules to target improvements The proposed 2025 HIPAA privacy and security rules will stress technical safeguards and operational resilience. Practices report the largest improvement needs in the areas below (moderate or significant): - Data protection and network security: Encryption at rest/in transit, anti‑malware/patching, segmentation. - Vulnerability management: Regular scans, annual penetration testing, annual control testing. - Incident response and continuity: Contingency plans and the ability to restore within 72 hours. - Access controls and device security: MFA, safeguards for portable devices, asset inventory and network mapping. - Training and awareness: HIPAA and cybersecurity training fit for the role. - Patient access and rights: Portal/mobile access, third‑party app/API support, faster 15‑day response. - HIPAA compliance and risk assessment: Annual audits, risk analysis, BAAs, and recognized security practices. What this means: The most pronounced gaps sit in technical safeguards and resilience—work that needs coordinated action across IT and clinical operations, not just policy updates. ## Modernize patient access without exposing patient data Current adoption snapshots: Most practices offer EHR‑integrated portals, while fewer provide mobile app access, secure messaging, direct download/export, or API access to third‑party apps. A small share still offers no electronic access. Here’s why it matters for HIPAA: Moving toward 15‑day fulfillment and API‑enabled access raises governance demands (third‑party app due diligence, consent capture, and event logging). Practices without electronic access face higher compliance and experience risk as timelines shorten. ## Use AI to strengthen patient data security today and plan for tomorrow Adoption signals show one‑third of practices already using AI features and rising expectations for value. Yet privacy, security, and compliance concerns—and fear of over‑reliance—are real barriers. Treat AI‑enabled workflows as regulated data flows and gate them with HIPAA‑aware evaluation. **How AI protects patient data today (in practice):** Organizations are using AI to reduce exposure and accelerate response. Examples include anomaly detection on user access patterns, automated data‑loss‑prevention (DLP) rules that flag likely PHI in free text, NLP assistants that help redact identifiers in disclosures, and triage tools that prioritize vulnerabilities or suspicious events for quicker remediation.  Some EHR add‑ons also support human‑in‑the‑loop summarization so clinical notes are reviewed before finalization. **Where AI may help next (near‑future):** Expect safer patterns such as privacy‑preserving analytics (e.g., federated or on‑device models that keep PHI local), adaptive access controls that factor real‑time risk into authentication prompts, and policy‑aware copilots that refuse or rewrite actions that would mishandle PHI.  As models improve, explainability and auditability will matter—so will guardrails that constrain outputs to approved sources and log all decisions for healthcare IT compliance review. **What to do now (governance in practice):** - Gate AI procurements with HIPAA compliant software reviews; require PHI minimization, admin‑level usage logs, and human review before clinical decisions or patient messaging. ## Build a staged 2026 roadmap for HIPAA readiness Use a phased plan to reduce risk quickly, then build durable governance: - Phase 1 (0–90 days): Enforce MFA for all ePHI systems (including vendor portals/remote access); validate encryption in transit/at rest across EHR/PM/billing/imaging/exports; inventory endpoints and map the network; draft or test a 72‑hour restoration playbook and align roles with vendors. - Phase 2 (3–6 months): Schedule regular vulnerability scans and an annual pen test; set remediation SLAs for critical findings; update BAAs and verify associates’ practices; document an enterprise risk analysis with threat/vulnerability assessments; launch role‑based training and phishing simulations with tracked participation and fail rates. - Phase 3 (6–12 months): Operationalize 15‑day response targets; enable secure portal/mobile access and controlled API connections with clear consent and revocation; establish an AI governance rubric (data minimization, PHI redaction, model transparency, output review, logging, incident playbooks) before expanding AI features. ## Choose HIPAA compliant software with verifiable controls Use this buyer’s checklist to qualify EHRs, PM suites, CDSS, telehealth platforms, and AI add‑ons: - Security controls: MFA; SSO/SAML; granular role‑based access; exportable audit logs; encryption at rest/in transit; device controls; endpoint posture checks; backup and recovery with stated RTO/RPO that can meet a 72‑hour restore goal. - Data handling and interoperability: Clear PHI data flows; retention/deletion controls; export methods (PDF/XML/FHIR); API scopes; patient‑facing consent capture for third‑party apps; audit events for API calls. - Vendor assurances: Updated BAA; evidence of annual risk assessments; recent vulnerability testing results or attestations; incident notification SLAs. - AI‑specific due diligence: Training‑data provenance; PHI minimization and de‑identification options; model‑transparency features; workflow support for human review before finalizing notes, orders, or patient messages; administrator‑level usage analytics. ## Prove progress with shared KPIs Track both compliance and performance signals to show value and fund the next step: - Records fulfillment time: Target ≤15 days once rules finalize; monitor variance by request type and site. - MFA coverage: Percent of production systems enforced (goal: 100%). - Encryption coverage: Percent of ePHI stores encrypted at rest and interfaces using TLS. - Vulnerability remediation time: Patch critical CVEs within a defined window (e.g., 15 days). - Disruption index: Annual recovery‑test pass rate against the 72‑hour restoration goal. - Training coverage and phishing fail rate: Quarterly improvement targets by role. ### Right‑size your approach by practice size - Small (1–5 providers): Prioritize the highest‑yield controls—MFA everywhere, validated encryption, managed scanning/patching via a trusted partner, and healthcare‑specific telehealth rather than general‑purpose video alone. - Medium (6–20): Add structured risk analysis, annual pen testing, standardized incident playbooks, and API governance for patient‑authorized apps. - Large (>20): Formalize disaster‑recovery testing to the 72‑hour target across locations; centralize asset inventory and network segmentation; stand up an AI governance committee to review use cases before rollout. ## Sequence leadership actions to fund and sustain momentum Start with the largest HIPAA gaps (data protection and network security, vulnerability management), then move to incident response and access controls. Treat patient‑access upgrades as a security initiative: align portals, mobile apps, APIs, and export workflows with audit trails, consent records, and identity verification. Build AI controls before scale—require PHI minimization, human review, and activity logging for any AI that touches clinical notes or patient communication. Tie funding to shared KPIs (MFA/encryption coverage, remediation speed, restoration testing) because these metrics connect directly to the proposed HIPAA privacy and security rules and incident‑loss reduction. * * * ### Survey methodology Software Advice’s 2026 Medical Software Trends Survey was conducted online in September 2025 among 400 physicians in the U.S. employed full-time in medical practices. The goal of this study was to understand the timelines, organizational challenges, research behaviors, and adoption processes of medical software buyers. Respondents were screened to ensure they were involved in medical software purchasing decisions. The study included 134 small practices (1-5 licensed providers), 144 medium practices (6-20 licensed providers), and 122 large practices (more than 20 licensed providers).