If you’re helping a clinic set up a website or building your own healthcare business, you might be wondering: “Can I just use a regular contact form for patients?” Not always. Let’s break down the difference between a HIPAA-Compliant Contact Form and a HIPAA-Compliant Patient Intake Form, when to use each, and how to avoid accidentally putting Protected Health Information (PHI) in the wrong place.
Contact Form: Quick and Simple
A HIPAA-Compliant Contact Form is ideal for:
- Booking a consultation
- Asking a general question
- Submitting a service inquiry
Typical fields might include:
- First and last name
- Email or phone number
- Reason for inquiry (short message or dropdown)
HIPAA-Compliant Intake Form: The Full Picture
A HIPAA-Compliant Intake Form is usually longer than the HIPAA online Contact form. This is where you collect detailed, structured medical and personal information ahead of an appointment.
Common sections include:
- Medical history & allergies
- Consent to treat
- HIPAA authorization
- Emergency contacts
- Insurance details
- E-signature
- Optional: payments, scheduling, file uploads
If your form includes these? You’re in HIPAA-Compliant Intake Form territory.
See our Intake and HIPAA authorization form templates
When your Contact Form have to be HIPAA-Compliant?
For a contact form:
- Patients enter sensitive health info in a free-text field
- Patient enters reason for visit while scheduling an appointment
- Patient upload file with health or sensitive information to the upload file section
“Can I use a Contact Online form that is not HIPAA-Compliant?”
Yes, if you only request contact information without the fields mentioned above.
Try our HIPAA Contact Form Template
When to Use Each
| SCENARIO | USE A CONTACT FORM | USE AN INTAKE FORM |
| Booking an appointment |  |  |
| General inquiry about services | | |
| Submitting medical history | | |
| Signing treatment consent | | |
| Uploading ID or insurance card | | |
Developer-Friendly Options to add a HIPAA-Compliant Contact form or a HIPAA-Compliant Intake form to any website
Want to embed a HIPAA-Compliant Contact Form or Intake Form on your WordPress, Wix, or Webflow site? With HIPAAtizer, you can:
- Embed either form type directly in your website
- Use HIPAAtizer WordPress Plugin, Wix App or Webflow app
- Customize branding, logic
- Add a secure e-payment solution for checkout
- Stay away from PHI with Developer dashboard
Related Articles
Want to learn more about intake forms? Check out our blog:
HIPAA-Compliant Intake Forms: 10 Tips for Moving Patient Intake Online Without a Headache
Ready to Build
Upload your current intake or contact form, and we’ll convert it into a secure online version, HIPAA-Compliant Intake Form and ready to use, with your branding. The first form is always free!
Still have questions? Contact us