Understanding the Limitations of No-Code Platforms for Healthcare Apps: Lessons Learned

In the journey of building healthcare applications, choosing the right tools is crucial—not just for development speed but also for compliance and data security. Recently, I embarked on developing a telehealth MVP using a popular no-code platform, confident in its capabilities but soon realizing significant limitations.

My goal was to create a HIPAA-compliant solution. I employed a combination of AI-generated code, an authentication service, and a cloud database. The platform I used boasted features like security scans and seamless integration, making it seem ideal for rapid prototyping.

However, a deeper dive into the fine print revealed some critical issues. Notably, there was no Business Associate Agreement (BAA) available, neither openly nor through any paid plans. This means the platform could potentially use patient data and prompts to train their AI models, raising significant privacy concerns. Testing with synthetic patient scenarios might inadvertently feed sensitive information into their systems.

While it’s technically possible to configure the backend components—like the authentication and database— to achieve HIPAA compliance, doing so requires a high level of expertise. You would need to manually configure security settings, sign separate BAAs, and effectively become a compliance specialist overnight. Unfortunately, the platform itself remains outside the protected environment, handling data without the necessary safeguards.

Faced with these limitations, I had to abandon my initial approach and start over with healthcare-grade infrastructure explicitly designed for HIPAA compliance. Interestingly, this more deliberate process proved to be faster and safer in the long run, avoiding the complex and time-consuming workarounds often associated with non-compliant tools.

Looking back, I wish I had known upfront that while this platform excels for rapid prototyping and testing, it’s not suitable for handling Protected Health Information (PHI). It would have saved me considerable effort and stress.

Has anyone else experienced similar challenges with no-code or low-code tools in healthcare development? I’d appreciate hearing your stories and lessons learned.