The Risk of Using Forms That Are Not HIPAA Compliant

Why Compliance Matters

If you collect health information through online forms, you are responsible for protecting that data under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Any form that handles Protected Health Information (PHI), which could even include seemingly innocuous data like names, emails, and phone numbers, must follow strict security and privacy standards. Failure to do so exposes your organization to legal, financial, and reputational risks.

1. Standard Contact Forms Aren’t Built for HIPAA

Most website contact forms are designed for convenience, not compliance. They often lack critical safeguards, including:

• Data encryption in transit and at rest

• Access controls and audit logs

• Signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA)

Without these, your form submissions could be intercepted, mishandled, or stored in systems that are not legally approved for PHI.

2. Legal and Financial Penalties

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can levy penalties ranging from thousands to millions of dollars for HIPAA violations. Even a single unsecured form submission can qualify as a breach. Beyond fines, your organization may face lawsuits from patients whose data was exposed.

3. Loss of Patient Trust

Healthcare depends on trust. If patients learn their sensitive information was not handled properly, they may seek care elsewhere. Data breaches often make headlines, damaging an organization’s reputation for years.

4. Operational Disruption

A HIPAA violation triggers investigation, reporting requirements, and potential remediation steps. This can consume significant time and resources, distracting staff from delivering care and slowing down daily operations.

5. The Secure Path Forward

Every form that handles PHI must be designed with HIPAA requirements in mind:

• Encrypted data handling

• Access controls and user authentication

• Audit trails for accountability

• Secure storage with HIPAA-compliant vendors

• Signed BAA with any service provider

How Form Vessel Helps

Form Vessel provides drag-and-drop web forms built for HIPAA compliance. All submissions are encrypted, securely stored, and covered under a signed BAA. You can focus on patient care while knowing your data collection meets legal and technical requirements.