Why Patient Portals Fall Short for Obstetric Image Sharing

Your patient portal was a significant investment, and it serves critical functions for routine medical communication. However, when it comes to obstetric ultrasound images, traditional portals create an unacceptable privacy risk that undermines your duty of care.

Unlike routine medical documents, ultrasound images carry profound emotional significance—expectant mothers will inevitably share these precious moments with family and friends on social media. Your portal may be compliant within your own infrastructure, but the moment you provide images containing personally identifiable information (PII) to patients, you have transferred liability without transferring control. This is not about patient education or compliance; it is about recognising human behaviour and adapting your systems accordingly.

The uncomfortable truth is that patient portals treat obstetric images in the same way as lab results or medication lists, when they function more like family photographs. When a new mother shares her ultrasound on Instagram or WhatsApp—complete with her name, date of birth, and medical record number visible at the top—the privacy breach is not her fault, it is a system failure.

As clinical leaders, deflecting responsibility to patients for predictable behaviour represents a fundamental misunderstanding of our professional obligations. We meticulously protect PII within our IT systems, yet we hand patients images laden with sensitive data and hope for the best. This approach fails both our patients and our professional standards.

Progressive obstetric practices are moving beyond generic patient portals to specialised solutions that automatically de-identify and brand images before patient access. This is not about replacing your existing portal—it is about recognising that obstetric imaging requires different safeguards.

By proactively addressing the social-sharing reality rather than ignoring it, you demonstrate true clinical leadership while protecting both your patients' privacy and your organisation's reputation. The question is not whether expectant mothers will share their ultrasound images; it is whether you will take responsibility for ensuring those shares are safe.