Top 10 Features Every HIPAA-Compliant Form Builder Should Have in 2026

As digital healthcare grows, protecting patient data has become a top priority. Healthcare forms sit at the core of daily operations - from patient intake and consent to evaluations and treatment updates, essentially forming an online medical record, replacing decades of paperwork. 

But with this convenience comes responsibility. Healthcare organizations managing these forms are handling protected health information (PHI).

PHI can range from names, addresses, Social Security numbers, insurance details, lab results, mental health notes, prescription history, and even payment information that are collected through these digital forms. This is why HIPAA exists. 

Every data point collected represents a piece of a patient’s private life, and according to HIPAA ANY breach or unauthorized access must have serious ethical and legal consequences. (Get detailed information on HIPAA penalties here)

This is where a reliable HIPAA-compliant form builder comes in. The right form builder helps you create smart, secure, and branded forms that not only meet compliance standards but also make life easier for your patients and your team.

Here’s what you can takeaway from this article:

• What truly defines a HIPAA-compliant form builder
• 10 essential features to look for in 2026
• Cheatsheet to compare form builders for HIPAA compliance
• How MakeForms makes HIPAA compliance easy without the tech overwhelm
• Why being HIPAA compliant actually keeps your practice safe

Why being HIPAA compliant actually keeps your practice safe

Your patients trust you with personal information - health history, insurance IDs, and more, and that data deserves to stay safe. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recorded 725 healthcare data breaches, impacting over 133 million patient records. (Source: HIPAA Journal)

A HIPAA-compliant form builder helps you stay proactive. It keeps sensitive data encrypted and gives your patients confidence that their information is in good hands. Compliance is about building trust and protecting your practice’s reputation.

10 features to look for when choosing a HIPAA-compliant form builder

Being HIPAA compliant involves adhering to three main types of safeguards - administrative, physical, and technical. While administrative and physical safeguards rely more on internal policies, many of the technical safeguards are generally built directly into the right form builder. 

Here are 10 HIPAA Features Every Form Builder Must Have (7 Technical + 3 Administrative)

1. Data encryption

All patient data should be encrypted both during collection and while stored on the form builder’s end on their servers. This ensures that even if data is intercepted or accessed without authorization, it remains unreadable and secure.

2. Access controls & authentication

You should be able to easily control who gets access to your data. The form builder must have features to assign roles, enable multi-factor authentication, and keep sensitive data locked down.

3. Automatic session timeouts

If a user leaves a system idle, the session should automatically log out to prevent unauthorized access. This should be built into the software.

4. Audit trails

Every action, right from viewing to editing a form, must be tracked by the form builder. This helps you trace how data moves and who interacts with it.

5. Secure data backups

The platform should perform regular, encrypted backups to prevent data loss from outages or system errors.

6. Data integrity controls

There must be safeguards that prevent unauthorized edits or tampering with patient data.

7. Secure integrations

Any connection with tools like EHRs, CRMs, or cloud storage should use secure APIs and encrypted channels.

From an administrative standpoint the form builder must also support compliance requirements such as:

8. Signing a BAA

The form builder must sign a Business Associate Agreement with your organization, it’s what makes them legally accountable for safeguarding PHI.

9. Data retention & disposal policies

The platform should allow you to define how long PHI is stored and ensure it’s securely deleted when no longer needed.

10. Compliance documentation

Your form builder should provide audit-ready documentation to prove compliance and make inspections easier.

Your cheatsheet to compare HIPAA compliant form builders

There are a lot of form builders in the market, and just a few high quality HIPAA compliant ones. So when evaluating different HIPAA-compliant form builders, focus on what would hold up technically and legally. Remember the fines are sky high - if you’re ever caught flouting the laws.

Here’s a checklist to assess each vendor's offering and ensure it aligns with your healthcare compliance and workflow needs.

How MakeForms’ HIPAA-compliant form builder simplifies things

MakeForms was designed to take the complexity out of HIPAA compliance. Here’s how it helps healthcare teams work faster and safer:

• Fully aligned with HIPAA standards and guidelines (literally all of the above)
• No-code setup and HIPAA compliant templates that are mobile-ready.
• Affordable for small and mid-sized clinics without compromising on compliance.
• MakeForms is perfect for healthcare & wellness providers, clinics, therapists, telehealth, dental and diagnostic centers - who need easy to create, compliant workflows.

Still want to compare other HIPAA form builders? 

Here is a side-by-side comparison of leading HIPAA-compliant form builders designed for healthcare. We’ve put together key features like compliance, pricing, and integration features.
Check out our comparison of top Form Builders for Healthcare in 2026:

Ready to simplify compliance? Build your first HIPAA-compliant form with MakeForms - quick, secure, and completely code-free.