Is Notion HIPAA Compliant?

Is Notion HIPAA Compliant?

Notion is a productivity app offering a range of organizational tools such as task management, project tracking, and web bookmarking. A large number of organizations, including healthcare organizations, use Notion for tasks such as project management, collaboration, and documentation.

The good news is that Notion can be used in a way that is HIPAA compliant. However, healthcare organizations should note that Notion’s basic plans are not suitable for handling PHI. In order to comply with HIPAA’s technical safeguarding requirements, specific configuration settings must be applied within Notion.

Notion can be configured to support the following security measures:

• Access Control
• Unique User Identification
• Emergency Access Procedure
• Automatic Logoff
• Audit Controls
• Integrity Controls
• Person/Entity Authentication

To make their Notion workspace HIPAA compliant, users must take the steps that effectively enable these security measures.

Will Notion Sign a BAA Agreement?

To comply with HIPAA, third-party vendors must have a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) in place with their partners.

Notion does offer a BAA that governs the protection of all Personal Health Information (PHI) stored in Notion. However, the BAA is only available to customers that are subscribed to Notion’s Enterprise plan and have more than 100 members.

Also note that, in meeting the terms of the BAA agreement and maintaining compliance with HIPAA, certain Notion features are not usable. These restricted features include Notion Calendar and Cron-related features, and the Notion AI Add-on.

✨Can You Store PHI or Patient Data in Notion?

Notion is designed as a general-purpose organization and collaboration tool. The standard plans are not designed, or able, to meet the stringent data security requirements of HIPAA, particularly around safeguarding PHI.

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‎‎PHI and sensitive patient data can be stored in Notion, but only by organizations on an Enterprise plan that is configured specifically to safeguard PHI. Without implementing these required configuration settings, you risk non-compliance with HIPAA and open yourself up to significant litigation and legal risks.

Can PHI/Patient Data Be Leaked from Notion?

Considering Notion’s use as a collaboration tool, where data can be easily shared, collaborated and exported concerns over data leaks are warranted. There are legitimate concerns over unauthorized access, but leaks of PHI and patient data from Notion could arise from multiple failures including misconfigured permissions and data interceptions.

At a minimum, the safe handling and effective safeguarding of PHI in Notion requires a BAA and a HIPAA compliant configuration.

✨How Can Strac Prevent Data Leaks from Notion?

The Strac Notion DLP app prevents data leaks, by automatically detecting and redacting sensitive data in messages and files from Notion pages, blocks, and comments.

1. The app operates on a list of sensitive data elements, including; SSN, DoB, Drivers Licence, Passport, Credit and Debit card #, API Keys, etc. This list can be configured to further tailor it to the specific needs of your organization.
2. Once the list of sensitive data elements is set, the Notion DLP App detects sensitive messages & files across Notion pages, blocks, databases, and comments.
3. The Notion DLP app then masks (redacts or removes) sensitive Notion messages and files, whilst allowing authorized users to view those messages/files in the Strac UI Vault.

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‎The Strac Notion DLP adds an additional layer of security to Notion workspaces. This is a solution that is built around Strac’s extensive experience in securing Endpoint & SaaS apps.

• Immediate Alerts and Continuous Monitoring: Strac provides instant notifications and constant monitoring for any unauthorized activities or data movements.
• Enhanced Detection of Sensitive Data: Leveraging sophisticated machine learning algorithms, Strac precisely identifies sensitive data, ensuring complete protection against data leaks.
• Continuous Sensitive Data Scanning: Strac guarantees the thorough data security and management that’s required for locating and safeguarding your catalog of sensitive data elements.
• Advanced Redaction Capabilities: With superior editing tools, Strac effectively removes sensitive information to mitigate the risk of unintended data exposure.
• Granular Access Controls: Strac offers detailed access management settings, allowing only approved users to access sensitive information, significantly minimizing the chance of data breaches.
• Broad Platform Support: As well as Notion, Strac ensures security across various platforms. Keep sensitive information safe by checking Strac's developer documentation.

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Learn more about how Strac can help organizations comply with HIPAA with ‎our guide to HIPAA Compliance and our complete range of DLP integrations.

Schedule a free 30-minute demo to learn more.

Bottom Line

Notion is not HIPAA compliant, and it does not sign a Business Associate Agreement; this makes it unsuitable for storing, sharing, or collaborating on PHI. Although Notion is excellent for documentation and team operations, healthcare organizations and any business handling regulated data must avoid using it for sensitive information. When teams need modern collaboration without HIPAA risk, Strac steps in by providing real-time redaction, automated PHI detection, access posture visibility, and SaaS-wide DLP to eliminate accidental exposure; with Strac, companies get the collaboration flexibility they love while ensuring every piece of sensitive health data stays protected.

🌶️Spicy FAQs on Notion HIPAA Compliance?

1. Can Notion be used to store patient information or medical records?

Notion cannot be used to store medical records, PHI, or any HIPAA-regulated information because it does not sign a Business Associate Agreement. Without a BAA, storing PHI automatically violates HIPAA requirements.

How Strac helps: Strac enables safe collaboration by detecting PHI across SaaS apps; automatically redacting or removing it before it becomes a compliance risk.

2. Why doesn’t Notion offer a HIPAA-compliant version?

Notion is intentionally built as a flexible, general-purpose workspace rather than a regulated-data management system. HIPAA compliance requires strict controls; encryption models; audit logs; user-level access policies; breach procedures; and a BAA.

• Notion does not provide a BAA
• Notion does not implement HIPAA-grade audit tracking
• Notion cannot guarantee PHI isolation or compliant access controls

How Strac helps: Strac provides HIPAA-aligned data scanning and remediation across your existing tools; removing sensitive data from non-compliant systems instantly.

3. What is the risk if PHI is accidentally added to a Notion page?

Accidentally adding PHI to a non-HIPAA system is considered an unauthorized disclosure; this can trigger reportable breaches, fines, and mandatory notifications. Even brief exposure counts as a compliance violation.

How Strac helps: Strac continuously monitors SaaS tools; detects PHI; and auto-redacts or deletes exposed content so organizations avoid costly violations.

4. What platforms are safe for PHI if Notion is not an option?

HIPAA-compliant alternatives typically offer BAAs, strong encryption models, audit logs, and granular access control. While Notion focuses on productivity and collaboration, regulated environments should use tools specifically engineered for healthcare workflows.

• Microsoft 365 (with BAA)
• Google Workspace (with BAA)
• Confluence HIPAA-eligible editions

How Strac helps: Strac overlays an additional layer of DLP and DSPM protection on these platforms; ensuring PHI is properly identified, classified, and remediated across your entire SaaS stack.

5. How can companies ensure HIPAA compliance if their teams love using Notion?

Teams can still use Notion for project planning, documentation, and internal operations; they simply need strict guardrails preventing PHI from ever reaching the platform. The safest approach is pairing team workflows with automated PHI monitoring.

How Strac helps: Strac prevents PHI from spreading into Notion by scanning connected apps, detecting sensitive data before upload, and blocking PHI from being copied; stored; or shared in insecure tools.