Lessons Learned: Why Choosing the Right Tools Matters for Healthcare Apps
Developing a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform is no small feat, and I recently learned this lesson the hard way. After spending two months building what I envisioned as a HIPAA-ready MVP, I relied heavily on a no-code solution that seemed perfect on the surface.
My setup included AI-generated code for rapid development, Clerk for authentication, and Supabase as my database—features that appeared secure and streamlined. The platform also boasted a security scan feature, adding to its appeal. However, my enthusiasm was short-lived once I delved into the fine print.
It became clear that the service I used lacked a formal Business Associate Agreement (BAA), with no option to obtain one—even for paying customers. More concerning was the revelation that, unless you’re on an enterprise plan (which can be cost-prohibitive), the provider can utilize user prompts to train their AI models. This posed a significant risk: the patient scenarios and data I tested could potentially be feeding into their training systems without my explicit consent.
While the combination of Clerk and Supabase could be made HIPAA-compliant, it would require extensive manual configuration, signing separate BAAs, and becoming a compliance expert overnight. As for the platform I initially relied on, it remained outside the protected data environment, with no assurances about data handling or security.
Realizing this, I had to abandon my initial build and start from scratch with proper healthcare infrastructure designed for HIPAA compliance. The experience underscored an important truth: attempting to retrofit compliance into tools not built for it often delays progress and complicates development.
If I had known upfront that certain no-code platforms like Lovable are excellent for prototyping but unsuitable for handling protected health information, I could have saved myself considerable time and frustration.
Has anyone else encountered similar challenges? Or did I perhaps miss some crucial research before diving in? Sharing our experiences can help the community avoid these pitfalls and focus on building compliant, secure healthcare applications from the start.
