{"id":21865,"date":"2019-11-28T09:31:01","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T14:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ccpa-accp.ca\/?p=21865"},"modified":"2020-11-03T15:36:55","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T20:36:55","slug":"how-to-store-client-records-in-a-canadian-private-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ccpa-accp.ca\/fr\/how-to-store-client-records-in-a-canadian-private-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Store Client Records in a Canadian Private Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keeping client\u2019s notes and personal information secure is a very important task that all Canadian counsellors must do. There are two main ways that Canadian counsellors store their client records:<\/p>\n

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  1. File Cabinet
    \n<\/strong>Many Canadian therapists, like myself, started their careers with writing paper-based notes and then storing the notes in a locked file cabinet. In private practice, this can be an affordable way to keep client records. However, as your caseload grows you will need more and more space to store the records! Plus, if you do not have your own office space yet or commute between offices\u2026 it can become a very big hassle to store paper-based records.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Electronically
      \n<\/strong>Since starting my Canadian private practice, I have been using Electronic Medical Record systems, otherwise known as an EMR. Yes, it does cost money\u2026 but it is soooooo worth it! By using an EMR you can easily store client records securely on an Internet server. By storing client records online, you can easily access your notes at any location! Plus most EMR\u2019s include other services in their packages that help to grow your Canadian private practice!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Privacy Laws in Canada for Storing Electronic Records<\/strong><\/p>\n

      As Canadian counsellors, we have to follow the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)<\/a> (a federal law) as well as any provincial Personal Information Acts. The main point in PIPEDA for Canadian Therapists is to make sure that you are storing electronic records correctly. Electronic records are stored on Internet servers that can be located anywhere in the world (depending on what EMR you are using).<\/p>\n

      Since some provinces have some type of provincial Personal Information Act, regulations can be different per province. This means that currently every province (except British Columbia and Nova Scotia) can store their records on US or Canadian servers. This is a good thing as it gives Canadian private practice owners more options when choosing an EMR (you can choose a US or Canadian EMR). Unfortunately, British Columbia and Nova Scotia MUST<\/strong> store their records on Canadian Internet servers (you can only choose Canadian EMRs).<\/p>\n

      For more information you can read: https:\/\/vsee.com\/blog\/hipaa-canada-health-information-privacy\/<\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n

      EMR Options<\/b><\/p>\n

      There are many EMRs that you can choose from. I recommend that you choose an EMR that includes:<\/p>\n