HIPAA & research data
HIPAA-compliant transcription for research interviews: what to require
There is no such thing as a HIPAA-certified transcription service; HIPAA has no certification program. What makes a service compliant for research is a short list of commitments you can verify: a signed BAA, encryption in transit and at rest, trained staff under confidentiality agreements, data kept in the United States, de-identification when your protocol calls for it, and documentation your IRB can review. Landmark provides all six, and none of them changes the rate: transcription starts at $1.99 per audio minute with HIPAA-compliant handling and Safe Harbor de-identification included.
The six requirements, and what to ask for
| Require | Why it matters | Ask the vendor for | At Landmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| A signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) | If your recordings contain protected health information from a covered entity, HIPAA requires a BAA with any vendor that handles them. | Their BAA, or willingness to sign your institution’s template, before the first upload. | BAAs in place with many universities; your template is fine. |
| Encryption in transit and at rest | Recordings sent by email or stored on a shared drive are the most common way interview data leaks. | How files are uploaded, where they live, and whether both legs are encrypted. | Encrypted upload and storage on Landmark’s platform; no email transfer. |
| Trained staff under confidentiality agreements | The transcriptionist hears everything the participant said. Training and a signed agreement are what make that acceptable to an IRB. | Who has access, what training they complete, and what they sign. | Staff complete human subjects protection and HIPAA training and sign confidentiality agreements. |
| Data kept in the United States | Offshore transcription puts PHI under other jurisdictions and outside your BAA’s reach. | Where the work is done and where files are stored, in writing. | U.S. clients’ recordings never leave U.S. infrastructure and are handled only by U.S.-based staff. |
| De-identification when your protocol calls for it | Safe Harbor de-identification removes the 18 identifier categories so transcripts can be shared, coded and archived with less risk. | Whether they de-identify, by which standard, and what it costs. | Safe Harbor de-identification included at no extra charge. |
| Documentation your IRB can review | Reviewers approve what they can read: encryption, access, training, retention. | A security summary you can attach to the protocol. | IRB-ready security documentation on request; see the compliance page. |
Does HIPAA even apply to your study?
HIPAA governs covered entities (providers, health plans, clearinghouses) and their business associates. Many university studies are governed by the Common Rule and your IRB rather than by HIPAA, and interviews about health topics are not automatically protected health information. The practical test: if the recordings or records come from a covered entity, such as an academic medical center or a clinic partner, treat the data as PHI and require a BAA. If you are not sure, your IRB or privacy office decides, not the vendor. Either way, the five other requirements above are what an IRB will ask about, so they are worth requiring for any recorded interview, HIPAA or not.
What Landmark signs and provides
- BAA or NDA, on your institution’s template if you prefer. Landmark has BAAs in place with many universities.
- Encrypted upload and storage on the Landmark platform, handled only by U.S.-based staff; recordings and transcripts for U.S. clients never leave U.S. infrastructure.
- Trained, bound staff: human subjects protection and HIPAA training, plus signed confidentiality agreements.
- Safe Harbor de-identification of all 18 identifier categories, included at no extra charge.
- IRB-ready security documentation you can attach to a protocol. How to get a vendor through IRB review is on the IRB approval guide.
- Human transcription at 99%+ accuracy, from $1.99 per audio minute for one-on-one interviews and from $2.69 for focus groups, in 3–5 business days.
Questions researchers ask
- Is there such a thing as a HIPAA-certified transcription service?
- No. HIPAA has no certification program for vendors, so "HIPAA certified" is a marketing phrase, not a credential. What you can verify is whether a service will sign a Business Associate Agreement, encrypts recordings in transit and at rest, limits access to trained staff under confidentiality agreements, keeps data in the United States, de-identifies transcripts when your protocol requires it, and gives you documentation your IRB can review.
- Will Landmark sign a BAA for university research?
- Yes. Landmark has Business Associate Agreements in place with many universities and research institutions and can work from your institution’s template. If your study handles protected health information from a covered entity, ask for the BAA before the first file is uploaded.
- Who hears my recordings, and where are they stored?
- Recordings and transcripts for U.S. clients stay on U.S. infrastructure and are handled only by U.S.-based staff who have completed human subjects protection and HIPAA training and signed confidentiality agreements. Files are transferred and stored encrypted on Landmark’s platform, never sent by email.
- Do you de-identify transcripts?
- Yes. HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification, removing all 18 identifier categories, is included at no extra charge with transcription. Tell us at upload whether you want identifiers removed, replaced with placeholders, or left in for your own coding.
- My IRB wants documentation of the vendor’s security. What can you give me?
- IRB-ready security documentation describing encryption, access controls, staff training and confidentiality agreements, plus the BAA or NDA itself. Landmark’s practices have been reviewed in IRB and university IT security reviews before; see the compliance page for what to request.
- Does HIPAA-compliant handling cost extra?
- No. Every transcription plan includes secure, HIPAA-compliant file handling and Safe Harbor de-identification. Transcription starts at $1.99 per audio minute for one-on-one interviews and $2.69 for focus groups and recordings with three or more speakers; speaker identification and timestamps are optional add-ons priced with your quote.