Require client ID verification — portal upload before first appointment

Upheal should be requiring clients to upload a photo of their government-issued ID through the patient portal before their first appointment. This is a standard identity-verification practice in healthcare and is especially critical for telehealth providers who cannot verify identity in person.

Why this matters:

1. Compliance: Identity verification is a best practice and may be required depending on jurisdiction and type of care provided.

2. Security: Ensures the person accessing care is who they claim to be.

3. Efficiency: Collecting ID upfront via the portal is faster and cleaner than requesting it at intake or via email.

4. Telehealth: For remote sessions, ID verification becomes even more important.

Suggested implementation:

• Add an ID upload requirement to the client portal onboarding flow

• Allow therapists to mark ID verification as required or optional per client

• Store the ID securely and flag in the client profile once verified

• Optionally, allow therapists to review/approve the ID before the first session