User Access Logging & Tracking

This question asks if your application creates a detailed record every time someone accesses patient information, capturing who looked at the data, exactly when they accessed it, and where they were connecting from (their IP address or device). It's like having a visitor log that automatically records everyone who enters a secure facility, creating an audit trail of all patient data access.

Access logging is fundamental to HIPAA compliance - without it, healthcare organizations cannot fulfill their legal obligation to provide patients with an accounting of who has accessed their health records. Missing or incomplete access logs can result in immediate compliance failures, regulatory fines, and make it impossible to investigate potential breaches. This is typically a mandatory requirement for any healthcare vendor.

A common mistake is logging page views or general application access instead of specific patient record access, which doesn't meet HIPAA's granular requirements. Companies also often fail to log API or backend access to patient data, creating blind spots in their audit trails that regulators and security auditors will quickly identify.