I need some input everyone, whether it is just my paranoia/insecurity or whether I am correct in being upset.

A few weeks ago I discovered that my T was putting our sessions on his computer under my medical record number. Not just vague generalities, but specific personal info that we had talked about - really, really personal stuff. I was horrified and got so upset in his office that I had cancelled any further appts. with him and started to leave. He stopped me and told me that all certain people with a password could get access, blah, blah....but he did agree to type in from now on that per my request, he was keeping my session notes in his office. This is the first person that I have ever really trusted and the knowledge that anyone in the hospital, including my other doctors, could just pull this stuff up and read it scared me to death. Anyway, I thought that was the end of it. Until today....

I had to go to the hospital today and set up all the prelim stuff for my surgery next Wed. and they gave me my file to take up to Admissions. I started looking thru it, as is my right to know what is in my file, and there they were - hard copies of all our sessions, dating back to 2001. They were open to anyone, nurses, lab techs, etc. to read. Someone looking for my lab results could just read this info as they paged thru the papers.

I freaked out......demanded to have them all removed and said that it was a breach of confidentiality. I have no problem with vague things like, "we met for one hour today and discussed the value of human life.......", but not my innermost thoughts for anyone. I went to a supervisor who said that was a "legal issue" because it is my medical condition. My reply was, "my family info has nothing to do with my physical condition. Why would my back surgeon need to know my private session talks?" I refused to leave the hospital until it was done.

This woman called my T and at first they told her that he was with a client. I told her to tell them the call was from me - and he did take the call. He did tell them to take the papers out, but all they did was put them in a sealed envelope and let me know that they will forward it to the legal dept. and try to work out something with my T. Which is fine, but she only did that after I got upset, esp. since I will be admitted next week and didn't want that stuff out in the open. He had put everything in there, my self-injury - my cutting and previous attempt to OD.

My primary physician's notes are kept in a separate file in his own office, so why should my T's be any different if that is my wish? Those black and white copies were there without my permission.

They told me they will keep them sealed until legal decides. Was I overreacting or within my rights? Thoughts??

Thanks,

Mary Alice

[Peanut61]

Hi {{{{Mary Alice}}}}: I'm so sorry that this happened. Discuss it again with your T, because you are correct on the law = he needed a release signed by you in order to turn over confidential medical records to another care provider = hospitals are very careful about this so it is doubtful that the records will be sent anywhere else, but still it was not appropriate for him (your T) to release them to ANYONE without your consent in writing. It's possible that the T's office messed up or something... It would be a shame to lose the therapeutic relationship if you can still find a way to trust him, (is it a him or her? - forgive me if I got it wrong). Your friend, Peanut

<font color=blue>HI FROM PEANUT :-)</font color=blue>

[clarissegoldbug]

I think you have every right to be upset! (Though I can relate to the 'is this just my paranoia' feeling - I get that ALL the time) I know I would be in your position. I'm not a lawyer or anything but I do know my ex T was based in the same clinic as my doctor, and she could not reveal anything we discussed unless there were extreme circumstances (I think she would be forced to break confidentiallity if she believed I was about to take my life for example). I used to work in a clinic and I know details of the counselling sessions that took place there were not kept on patients computer records.
Personally I don't think you are over reacting at all. I got embarrassed enough in hospital with people seeing my body let alone the transcripts of my therapy sessions!
Did you sign/agree any kind of contract before you began with this T?

[Zenobia]

I have to agree that yes it must be a breach of confidentiality. At least I would think so. I was thinking though, it sounds like your T is trying to do his best to fix the situation. Maybe it didn't occur to him that this was not appropriate. I don't know. I would be mortified if the stuff that I said in session was available to the rest of the world. I had trouble enough confinding the info to my T.
Carrie

<font color=green>Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.--Emily Dickenson

Hi everyone thanks for the input so far.

No, I did NOT sign anything giving him the right to release info. We had actually agreed that it would be kept between us unless it was something life-threatening.

Carrie, I think you are right. He honestly thought that I would realize that there were paper copies as well and that it was no big deal. I sent him an email earlier this afternoon and apologized for disrupting his session with another patient, but to try to look at it from my point of view.

He responded with saying that he wasn't angry with me and that he just wants to work out something with the hospital that will make me comfortable.

I feel like all this people will be looking at my body for any signs of injury now. Who knows how many techs or nurses read thru all that stuff? Omg, it makes me want to change doctors but that hospital is the best in the state - a teaching hospital as well and the only one with Med Flight.

I just figure that it is sometimes human nature to read something that catches the eye - he thinks no one would care to read it. I know better.

He even made notes about the times I wore long sleeves and trying to see if I had any new marks. I don't know - I just feel betrayed all over again.

Mary Alice

[darkeyes]

That is terrible! I am not that knowledgable of the legal end of this but it seems very suspicious that your T did not show you the forwarding files and recieve your signature releasing any info to the other docs., etc.
Must be a real unstable character himself. I would see if you can do anything legally in regards to this to prevent this bastard from continuing this sort of record keeping and divulging personal issues with others. It is stuff like this that gives T's in general a bad reputation, while there are still reputable ones out there. I say talk to a lawyer if possible and get this creep !!
Take care of yourself,
"darkeyes"

In giving advice seek to help, not please your friend
SOLON

[Zenobia]

The fact that you had an agreement to keep things just between the two of you has me bothered. Why would he disregard that agreement? I now understand why it was put into the the hospital records. This sort of thing happens with teaching hospitals. I would avoid any teaching hospital because of the disrespect for the patient's needs in the name of education. Yeah Yeah I know that the students need practical application instruction but it should not be given at the expense of the patients.
Carrie

<font color=green>Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.--Emily Dickenson

[Moonsilk]

Agh. This would disturb me as well. I have never heard of a Therapist doing such a thing, as there is supposed to be strict confidentiality unless otherwise specified by the patient.

A good example is my visit with my own Therapist today. She ASKED me if it was okay for her to share the details of our sessions with my Psychiatrist - and that's a Psychiatrist in the SAME building. Nevertheless, she asked anyway, and said that she wouldn't if I was uncomfortable with it. I was fine with it, because my Psychiatrist and I have such short sessions, and I want my Psychiatrist to know everything, so that she can best decide how to compliment my therapy with any needed medications...

I can't help but shake my head at this disregard for your privacy, Mary Alice. Especially since I used to work in the Medical Records department of a hospital. To say I didn't know what was in a patient's file would be lying, because I had to file the papers in the charts correctly, and sometimes make notes. Although I would NEVER tell anyone what I saw in a person's chart, simply out of respect for the patient's privacy, I was still aware of everything I filed.

In my opinion, you have every right to be upset about this disregard of your privacy - and if your Therapist was ignorant of this breach of confidentiality on his part, this will MAKE SURE it won't happen again - to you, or anyone else.

I do hope everything works out, and your papers are permanently removed from the facility. My heart is with you.

(((((Mary Alice)))))

Please take care.

Thanks everyone......at least it isn't just my paranoia talking, I have the right to be upset. The worst part was I felt guilty for feeling angry - like I was the one in the wrong here.

I have another appt with my T on Tues, the day before my surgery. I have no intention of not pursuing this as far as I can, and he needs to understand that.

Mary Alice

[Rapunzel]

Mary Alice,
I would be very angry too. I think Carrie has it right - if it's a teaching hospital they are trying to make the information available to the med students for their education. I would be uncomfortable going to a teaching hospital as a patient for this reason, but you have to admit that it's a good thing we have teaching hospitals - otherwise, how would new doctors get the experience to become doctors?

If it was me, I would probably find a therapist who is not associated with the hospital, but if you are benefitting from seeing this therapist, you need to consider that too. Good therapists are hard to find, and this probably isn't the time for you to be quitting therapy, even with the intention of starting someplace else.

Talk it out with your T and see if you can come to an agreement that you are comfortable with. Do what's best for you. I hope that this can be worked out in some way that you can be okay with.

-Wendy