> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.mdintegrations.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.mdintegrations.com/partner/troubleshooting/technical-concepts/phi-separation-for-e-commerce-integrations.md).

# PHI Separation for E-Commerce Integrations

Shopify and WooCommerce are built to run storefronts, not to hold protected health information (PHI) at HIPAA-grade security. When you integrate MDI with either platform, the goal is to keep it that way: the storefront handles commerce, and MDI securely vaults all medical data. This page lays out the separation-of-concerns pattern that makes that possible, and the checklist you can use to verify you're holding the line.

Keeping PHI completely off your commerce platform simplifies your audit scope and reduces your overall liability — there's no medical data on your storefront to secure, log, back up, or eventually breach.

{% hint style="info" %}
This pattern applies equally to Shopify and WooCommerce integrations. Nothing here is platform-specific.
{% endhint %}

## Prerequisites

* An active MDI partner account.
* An existing Shopify or WooCommerce store with admin access.
* Products with unique SKUs.
* Published medical intake forms in MDI.
* A documented mapping of which products need which medical forms — see Integrating with Shopify or Integrating with WooCommerce for the mapping steps themselves.

## The five-step framework

### 1. PII-only storefront

During shopping and checkout, only collect standard e-commerce data: name, address, email. Without medical context attached, this is commercial data — it doesn't by itself trigger HIPAA obligations on your storefront.

### 2. Post-purchase bridge

The customer becomes a Patient only once they complete medical intake through MDI's white-labeled portal — never inside the Shopify or WooCommerce interface itself. Checkout and intake are deliberately two separate systems, and that separation is what keeps medical data from ever touching your commerce platform.

### 3. De-identified fulfillment

MDI communicates order status back to your commerce platform using tags (for Shopify, see the order-tagging table in Integrating with Shopify). These tags tell your warehouse or fulfillment staff whether to ship, hold, or refund an order, without ever exposing medical details like diagnosis or treatment specifics inside the commerce system.

### 4. Secure messaging

Replace any standard "contact us" form tied to a medical product with MDI's encrypted "Chat with a Doctor" experience. This keeps HIPAA-relevant conversations off your own e-commerce and support systems entirely.

### 5. Verification checklist

Periodically audit your setup against these three points:

* [ ] Medical questions are asked only via the MDI intake link — never on a Shopify or WooCommerce page.
* [ ] Staff never note diagnoses or treatment details directly in the order system.
* [ ] Order confirmation emails contain no medical specifics.

{% hint style="warning" %}
The core compliance principle in one line: medical questions are only asked via the MDI link, never on a Shopify or WooCommerce page. If you find a workflow, app, or support macro that violates this, treat it as a compliance gap to close immediately.
{% endhint %}


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