Why Medical Practices Should Use a Patient Portal for PHI

Many medical practices collect patient details through an ordinary website form without realizing the risk. If a form asks about symptoms, medical history or insurance, it is handling protected health information (PHI). A patient portal is the safer way to collect it, and this article explains why.

Understanding PHI and Compliance

Protected Health Information (PHI) includes any information about a patient’s health status, treatment, or insurance that can be linked to an individual. Under HIPAA, any business handling PHI must take strict security measures to protect that data.

Standard website forms typically do not offer encryption, access controls, or secure data storage required for HIPAA compliance. Submitting PHI through these forms puts patients at risk—and puts your practice in danger of legal consequences.

Why Patient Portals Are the Safer Solution

Patient portals are secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms where patients can submit forms, request appointments, send messages, and access medical records. These systems are designed to encrypt data, track access, and store information safely.

By linking to a patient portal from your website, you’re providing patients with a trusted, secure method for communication—while keeping your practice compliant and protected.

How to Implement This on Your Website

Instead of embedding health-related forms, your website should include a clear call-to-action:

“Need to send a message or submit forms? Please log in to your patient portal here.”

You can also include brief instructions and support for patients who are unsure how to use the portal.

What About General Inquiries?

It’s fine to keep a basic contact form on your website for general questions like hours, location, or billing. Just be sure to include a disclaimer: “Please do not submit any personal health information through this form.”

How DocWeb Helps

We specialize in medical websites that balance user-friendly design with strict compliance standards. We’ll ensure your site links properly to your patient portal, avoids collecting PHI, and still offers a great experience for your patients.

Don’t risk compliance for convenience. Use a secure portal and protect both your patients and your practice.

Related: read what patients expect from a medical practice website, or talk to us about your practice website.