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Hamuko

I don't see how any patient data can exists in this world under these conditions.

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On a notebook (the paper kind), locked, in a specific doctor's office is not a problem at all.

How do patient referrals work?

Same way they worked before computers? Fax machines still exist.

Well now the patient data is not really locked away in a specific office.

How about physical mailing?

> Fax machines still exist

Sure, send the patient data over an unencrypted phone line, probably using a never-updated smart scanner to an internet-connected IoT-printer. Sounds like a plan!

You could make the same argument about the mail system.

And I would! While mail is not as easy to monitor at scale or distance, the files of single patients are even less protected; catching a letter is rather trivial if one really wants to.

In what part of the world? I haven't seen one in Finland since maybe the early 2000's.

How did they work a few decades ago?

This shows a very poor understanding of how doctors work. On difficult cases doctors often need to consult with others, sharing information about the case. Furthermore, in pysch. multiple followups are required. If this is all solely done on paper the logistics become more complex and error prone.

Psychologists aren't doctors in Finland where the story is from.

The alternative is that people who have any kind of sensitive issue (which is most mental health issues) won't see a mental health professional at all. There are many people in my social circle that I cannot imagine seeing a mental health professional in general. You add on the risk of the actual discussion leaking and it would be impossible to even convince them to do so.

That's the kind of damage leaks like this do.

A notebook might be just a little to old-school to work in the modern world, but there's definitely reason to consider having such sensitive data completely separated from the Internet.

The patient can keep the data and have the doctor sign it.

That's not possible. Medical records have to be kept for 12 years (IIRC).

Why is psychological data considered a medical record? Only the medication used, and only as long as it is relevant, should be medical.

Is mental healthcare not healthcare?

Because medical coverage/insurance programs pay for it, for one.

It's not - in Finland where the story is from.

I have different info on that.

https://www.valvira.fi/terveydenhuolto/hyva-ammatinharjoitta...

The story is from Finland. We don't have such requirements, especially relating to psychotherapy session transcripts - these are done by psychologists who aren't even doctors in Finland, all this data is outside of our healthcare data systems.

>Psykoterapeutin on tehtävä merkintä potilaan jokaisesta psykoterapiakäynnistä viivytyksettä ja ajantasaisesti. Käynniltä poisjäänti tai käynnin peruuttaminen, joko potilaan tai psykoterapeutin aloitteesta, on kirjattava. Hoidon alussa merkintöjen pitää olla perusteellisempia, ja potilaan hoitosuunnitelma pitää kirjata selkeästi.

>Psykoterapialle on tyypillistä, että psykoterapeutti tekee psykoterapiakäynnin aikana muistiinpanoja. Psykoterapeutin tulee viivytyksettä psykoterapiakäynnin jälkeen laatia muistiinpanojen keskeisistä kohdista varsinaiset potilasasiakirjamerkinnät.

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