Privacy
Keeping health information private online: what actually matters
Health information is the category most worth protecting and the one most casually handed to apps that are not bound by health privacy rules.
Published July 31, 2026 · Updated September 10, 2026
Why this category is different
Health information cannot be changed once it is out, unlike a password or a card number. That permanence is what makes it worth more care than other data.
It is also valuable to people who should not have it: insurers in some markets, employers, and anyone attempting to impersonate you to a provider.
None of this is a reason to avoid portals. It is a reason to secure them properly, which takes about ten minutes once.
Passwords
A password used only for the health portal is the single most effective measure available. Reuse is how most accounts are actually broken into.
Length matters more than symbols. Three or four unrelated words are both stronger and easier to remember than a short scramble.
Written down at home is acceptable. The realistic risk is a database breach on the other side of the world, not a burglar reading your notebook.
Two-step verification
Where offered, this sends a code to your phone in addition to the password. A stolen password alone then achieves nothing.
Codes arrive by text or through an app. Either is a large improvement over nothing.
Never read a verification code to anyone who telephones you. No legitimate organisation asks for one, and this is the mechanism most commonly abused.
Shared and public devices
Closing the tab does not log you out. On a shared computer, use the log-out button and then close the browser.
Avoid entering portal credentials on public machines at all where possible. Library and hotel computers keep more than people expect.
If you have used a shared device, changing the password afterwards is a reasonable precaution.
Health apps outside the clinical system
Fitness trackers, symptom checkers, period trackers and sleep apps are generally not covered by the rules that protect clinical records. They are ordinary companies with ordinary privacy policies.
Many share data with advertisers and analytics firms. This is usually disclosed in the privacy policy and rarely read.
This is not an argument against using them. It is an argument for knowing which category a piece of software is in before entering something sensitive.
Portal messages
Messages inside a portal travel within the provider's system and are far safer than ordinary email for clinical matters.
They are not private from the practice — they become part of your record, which is appropriate and worth knowing.
Ordinary email should not be used for clinical information where a portal exists. It is readable at several points along the way.
Who else can see your record
Access within a provider is logged, and in many systems you can request an access log showing who looked at your record and when.
Family members do not have access unless you have granted proxy rights. If you want someone to have it, arrange it formally.
Where a shared regional record exists, you can usually opt out or restrict what is shared. The mechanism is rarely advertised.
Being asked for information
No provider will telephone and ask for a portal password or a verification code. Any such call is fraudulent regardless of what number appears.
Emails claiming a portal problem and linking to a login page are a common tactic. Type the portal address yourself or use the app.
If you are unsure whether a contact was genuine, hang up and call the number on your appointment letter.
What this guide does not cover
Legal advice on privacy rights.
Insurance underwriting and data use.
Specific apps and their policies.
General information about software and process only. It is not medical advice and does not replace your own clinician. Systems differ between providers.