Your Intake Forms Are a Security Risk (Unless You've Done These Things)

Intake forms collect the kind of information that keeps compliance officers up at night: Social Security numbers, insurance details, medical histories, financial data. If your intake system isn't built with security at its core, you're one breach away from regulatory penalties, lawsuits, and destroyed trust.

The uncomfortable truth is that many practices are still collecting this data through methods that were never designed for security -- emailed PDFs, basic online forms, or worse, paper sitting in unlocked filing cabinets.

Here's what actually matters for securing your intake process.

Encryption: The Non-Negotiable Baseline

If your intake platform doesn't encrypt data both in transit and at rest, nothing else matters. Look for:

• TLS 1.3 for data in transit (this is what protects information while it moves between the patient's device and your server)
• AES-256 for data at rest (this protects stored information even if someone gains unauthorized access to the server)

These aren't premium features -- they're the minimum. Any platform that charges extra for encryption or doesn't offer it at all isn't serious about security.

Access Controls: Who Can See What

Security isn't just about keeping hackers out. It's about ensuring that only the right people inside your organization can access sensitive data. This means:

• Role-based permissions so front desk staff, clinicians, and administrators see different things
• Audit logging that tracks who accessed what data and when
• Password protection for forms containing particularly sensitive information

Most data breaches involve insiders -- not because of malice, but because of over-permissioned access. Limiting who can see what reduces your risk surface dramatically.

Infrastructure Matters

Where your data lives is as important as how it's protected. For US healthcare and professional services:

• US-hosted servers keep data under domestic jurisdiction
• Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) are required for HIPAA compliance -- if your platform won't sign one, they're not HIPAA-ready
• Rate limiting protects against brute-force attacks on form endpoints

These are infrastructure decisions made by your platform provider. You can't bolt them on after the fact.

The Trust Signal

Beyond regulatory compliance, secure intake systems send a message to clients. When people see that your forms are professionally built, load over HTTPS, and come from a platform that takes security seriously, they feel more comfortable sharing sensitive information. That trust translates directly into more complete, accurate form submissions.

Conversely, sending a Google Form or an emailed Word document to collect medical history tells clients you haven't thought much about their data privacy.

What to Ask Your Platform Provider

If you're evaluating intake solutions, here are the questions that matter:

1. Do you encrypt data at rest and in transit? What standards?
2. Will you sign a BAA?
3. Where are your servers located?
4. What access controls and audit logging do you offer?
5. What happens to data when I cancel my account?

Any provider that can't give clear, specific answers to these questions isn't ready for sensitive data.

Stop Treating Security as Optional

Secure intake isn't a feature -- it's a requirement. The regulatory landscape is only getting stricter, client expectations are only getting higher, and the cost of a breach is only getting more expensive. If your current intake process can't pass basic security scrutiny, it's time to upgrade -- before something forces your hand.