How BlockSurvey Helps Mental Health Researchers Who Need HIPAA Compliance

What happens when your sensitive patient data gets leaked? Can you undo the damage?

As a mental health researcher, you have a big responsibility. Protecting the deepest struggles, trauma, anxiety, depression, and personal experiences your participants shared with you. Your participants trust you to protect their most vulnerable moments, believing their secrets will remain private and secure.

What happens next when the trust is broken?

In 2020, a Finnish psychotherapy service provider called Vastaamo faced backlash and got penalized due to a data breach that exposed the sensitive data of 36,000 patients. The hackers contacted the company to demand a ransom and threatened to publish the patient records if the demands were not met. And they did publish some sensitive patient data on the web.

This breach exposed severe security flaws of that company, including unencrypted data and weak data controls. As a result: Thousands of patients suffered emotional distress, the company got fined due to compliance violations, and trust in mental health data security was completely broken.

But in a world where data breaches like the above are all too common, how can you ensure their trust isn’t shattered? That’s where HIPAA compliance comes in it’s not just a regulation; it’s your shield against irreversible harm.

Now the question is: how to ensure HIPAA compliance for the research data collected to avoid becoming the next data breach?

The Hidden Risks of Non-Compliance

Traditional survey tools don’t offer the security required for sensitive mental health research. Many mental health researchers unknowingly use survey tools that don’t meet HIPAA standards, assuming they offer enough security. 

But the reality? They don't. And they are paying too much for insecure survey tools.

• Compliance Gaps - Some platforms claim to be HIPAA-friendly, but if they don't offer Business Associate Agreements (BAA), encrypted storage, and access controls, your data isn’t truly protected.
• Expensive Doesn’t Mean Compliance - Some platforms charge high fees for compliance but fail to meet HIPAA requirements can leave you with hefty fines and legal issues.
• Third-Party Data Access Risks - If your survey provider stores data on their own servers, they have the potential to access, analyze, or even sell participant responses.

Keep these compliance needs in mind while finding your secure survey platform.

Now, picture this scenario: A mental health patient shares details of his trauma in your survey. Now that data is leaked. Can you afford the legal and ethical consequences?

And you know what? Many researchers are paying premium pricing for secure platforms that still fail to provide true HIPAA compliance.

So, How do you get a fully HIPAA-compliant survey tool without draining your budget?

BlockSurvey - The HIPAA-Compliant Survey Tool

HIPAA compliance should be straightforward and accessible. BlockSurvey provides essential compliance features, including Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), ensuring secure handling of protected health information.

You get a fully HIPAA-compliant survey solution at a fraction of the cost of other enterprise-level survey tools.

Unlike other survey platforms, BlockSurvey encrypts data from the moment a participant submits a response ensuring that: Only you can access the data, not anyone else nor BlockSurvey.

Even if hackers attempt to breach the system, the encrypted data remains completely unreadable, making a Vastaamo-like breach impossible.

Many survey platforms store responses on their own servers, creating a huge security risk. BlockSurvey doesn’t. Your data is stored on a secure storage. Only you hold the encryption keys - which ensure complete data ownership. No third-party tracking, access, or interference with our zero knowledge architecture.

No collection of personally identifiable metadata (IP addresses, emails, etc.)

For mental health research, anonymity isn’t a bonus - it’s essential. Participants must feel 100% safe sharing their experiences.

As a result, you get high response rates, honest responses, and research that truly reflects participant’s experiences.

The Cheapest HIPAA-Compliant Survey Tool Out There

Get all the above-mentioned security features without the high price tag. Most big-named survey platforms are charging premium fees for HIPAA compliance. We offer it at a 90% cost-cut of what SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, and Alchemer charge for their enterprise plans. Investing in data security doesn't have to be expensive. With BlockSurvey you get the utmost privacy, security, and data ownership all under your budget.

Even early mental health researchers who lack funding, are running surveys during studies, or early-stage organizations struggling with costs - we are here to help. Contact our sales team to know more.

So you stay compliant, avoid fines, and protect your research data with confidence.

Case Study: How Alyson Used BlockSurvey to Run Mental Health Research

Alyson was looking for a survey tool that protects the privacy of her audience, and that's how she discovered BlockSurvey as a mental health assessment tool. Before BlockSurvey, she was using Typeform to run surveys. She had a website but she mentioned people are not filling up her form. 

Data collection in the mental health space is critical and needs protection since the data collected are often personally identifiable. So she searched for an end-to-end encrypted tool and landed in BlockSurvey. BlockSurvey solved this by helping her to run surveys and assessments with end-to-end encryption.

You can read about how BlockSurvey helped Alyson to know more.

To Wrap It Up

BlockSurvey is the first and most secure mental health survey tool exclusively available for mental health researchers. With cost-effective HIPAA compliance BlockSurvey ensures full data protection, end-to-end encryption, and secure storage.

Get started in minutes! With our secure HIPAA-compliant survey solution.