⚖️Are your Therapy Notes Secure?

Part 4 in the note taking series. Read Part 1- Purpose of Psychotherapy notes, Part 2- How to Structure your notes and Part 3- When should you write your notes.

Notes are taken either physically or electronically. Their storage and disposal requires special consideration because these processes are directly linked to confidentiality. Moreover, the blending of personal and professional spaces- especially with therapists working from home for teletherapy- introduces further concerns.  

Storage: When records are being stored in the house, it is natural for that area or the device to be accessible by other residents. Developing procedures and safeguards to limit accessibility is essential. For instance-

• For physical notes: Keep them locked away, with the key stored in a secure location. Ensure the room is not accessible to others while you complete your notes.

• For electronic notes: Put a strong password on the device where you store notes electronically. Avoid sharing the device with other people.

Disposal: There are several reasons for disposing of records—sufficient time may have passed since the last service date, physical notes may be converted into electronic records, or data may need to be erased when changing devices.

• For physical notes: Consider investing in a paper shredder such as this one from Amazon for INR 2099.

• For electronic records: Simply deleting files isn’t always enough. Take extra steps such as emptying the recycle bin, formatting the device, or using file shredder software to prevent data retrieval from the hard drive.

Until next week,
Suvrita

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