Understanding the Limitations of No-Code Platforms for Healthcare Applications
Building a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform is no small feat, and choosing the right tools is crucial. Recently, I dedicated two months to developing a minimum viable product (MVP) using a popular no-code platform, believing it would meet healthcare privacy standards. The platform promised rapid development with AI-generated code, integrated authentication, and solid security features. It even included a convenient security scan tool.
However, upon closer inspection of the platform’s terms and conditions, I discovered critical limitations. Notably, there was no Business Associate Agreement (BAA) available—neither openly nor as an optional feature. This is a red flag for healthcare applications, where data privacy and compliance requirements are strict. Furthermore, unless operating on an expensive enterprise plan, the platform indicated that user prompts could be used to improve their AI models. This means that any test patient scenarios I conducted could inadvertently feed sensitive data into their training system.
While the combination of Clerk authentication and Supabase database could theoretically be configured to meet HIPAA standards, it would require extensive manual setup, signing separate BAAs, and investing in compliance expertise—effectively transforming the project into a full-scale healthcare infrastructure overhaul. Unfortunately, the no-code platform itself remains outside the protected environment, handling data without the necessary safeguards.
Ultimately, I realized it was more practical—and faster—to start from scratch with dedicated healthcare infrastructure rather than trying to retrofit compliance onto a tool not designed for it. If I had known upfront that this platform was excellent for prototyping but unsuitable for real PHI (Protected Health Information), I could have avoided significant setbacks.
Has anyone else encountered similar challenges with no-code solutions in healthcare development? Sharing experiences can help others navigate these complex compliance landscapes more effectively.
