Safeguarding Patient Data: A Comprehensive HIPAA Compliant & Security Verification Tool for mHealth Applications.

Abstract

"Mobile Health (mHealth) applications have transformed healthcare delivery by providing convenient access to medical services and health information. Nevertheless, as health data becomes more digitised, it becomes crucial to guarantee the security and privacy of confidential patient information. In Sri Lanka, the increasing use of mHealth applications has raised significant worries about their security. This study aims to examine the security weaknesses and compliance status of mHealth applications in Sri Lanka. The focus will be on ensuring adherence to the guidelines set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and mitigating the risks identified in the OWASP Mobile Top 10 vulnerabilities. In order to address the security difficulties that have been found, this study suggests creating and assessing a thorough security verification tool that is specifically designed for mHealth applications. By conducting a thorough assessment of existing literature, analysing stakeholders, and gathering needs, the research team has developed and implemented a powerful tool that can effectively identify non-compliant requirements and common vulnerabilities in mHealth applications. By utilising sophisticated testing approaches such as functional and non-functional testing, the tool undergoes thorough evaluation to determine its efficacy in improving the security of mHealth applications. This research provides significant insights into the security situation of mHealth applications in Sri Lanka. The security verification tool has been extensively tested and evaluated, and it has proven to be highly effective in identifying and reducing security issues. As a result, it significantly improves the overall security and compliance of mHealth applications. The test results emphasise the significance of taking proactive security measures and offer practical suggestions for stakeholders to strengthen the security position of mHealth applications, guaranteeing the confidentiality, accuracy, and accessibility of patient data in the digital healthcare system."