Tried a free booking software for my clinic but patient data is exposed, what should I do?

Using free software in the healthcare sector is the most expensive mistake you can make. The official fines or lawsuits you'd face if a patient's data leaks would far exceed years' worth of software licensing fees. Get on a licensed system with a proper contract without wasting any time.

That confirmation link issue you mentioned is a textbook authorization flaw. If changing the ID parameter in the URL lets someone view other records, that's authentication bypass. When moving to a paid platform, demand commitments for API security, role-based access control, and database-level AES-256 encryption.

First thing today turn off that confirmation link feature in the dashboard. Confirm appointments manually via SMS or your official email. And until you get new software, absolutely do not enter diagnoses complaints, or treatment details into the system—keep it strictly to names and appointment times.

We switched to a locally hosted system at a similar clinic last year, paying 300 AED per doctor each month. Comes out to 900 AED a month for three specialists. They charged a one-time 1,500 AED training fee for the initial setup, but we've had zero issues during audits.

Did you read the terms of service on that tool? Most free SaaS platforms sneak in clauses allowing them to sell anonymized data to third-party analytics firms. How many unique patients have you logged in there so far?

Two years ago at a beauty center run by an acquaintance, a similar bug allowed two clients to see each other's appointment histories and treatments. It ended up with the police and consumer protection, and the clinic almost got shut down. No one there has touched free software since.

free software is usually full of security holes anyway then if you have 1200 aed a month just switch to a proper enterprise system save yourself the headache.

Just because it's paid doesn't mean it's secure. There are tons of local and international agency tools charging thousands of dirhams a month while dumping data onto cheap shared servers overseas. You must ask to see their security certifications and independent audit reports yourself.

good call startting this thread.

I went through the same thing.

We need to make a distinction here. When making decisions, write down the worst-case scenario too, not just the best.

A small market isn't bad; working cheaply in a small market is. Hope this helps.

I'd appreciate it if you shared the outcome. Everything goes well for the first three months; problems arise in the fourth.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

I agree with this. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

There's a trap here, let me mention it. Changing habits is harder and more expensive than setting up a system.

If it's your first time, start small; scaling comes later. I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

There are three things to check when doing this. If it's your first time, start small; scaling comes later.

Let me summarize what's been said so far. When you try to change everything at once nothing settles.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

Just a heads-up. The harder it is to reverse a decision, the slower you should make it.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

If I understood correctly, you're saying: Trying to do this alone is the most expensive way.

Hope this helps.