Progressive Profiling Should Update Users, Not Recreate Them

A technical guide for healthtech platforms argues that progressive profiling must update a single, immutable user record rather than creating a new one when profile details change. The user ID should serve as the stable aggregate key, while attributes like email act as verified lookup identities rather than primary keys. Each accepted profile change should be recorded as a separately authorized, auditable state transition to maintain a clear account history. The design separates operational profile state from audit evidence, keeping current data bounded while allowing event history to grow into tiered storage. Sensitive data such as password material and reset secrets should be deliberately excluded from audit logs, with deletion schedules aligned to healthcare compliance and incident-response requirements.