Privacy, Consent, Laws and Regulations

New Regulations and Handling Data Responsibly

Privacy is a crucial topic in healthcare. As a client, you should expect that your information is treated confidentially.

Therefore, we will discuss how I handle your information and whether I can contact parties such as your general practitioner, school, or other relevant parties involved in your care. Such agreements will be documented in a consent form.

Privacy Statement

Your Records

I maintain a record for each client. I use Praktijkdata, a secure in an secure electronic patient record (EPR) for psychologists (praktijkdata) , to manage these records. Any data that cannot be entered into the EPR is stored in a secured filing cabinet. The record contains information necessary for providing quality care and conducting thorough assessments. I am legally obligated to retain these records for at least fifteen years.

I cannot exchange information about you or your treatment with anyone other than you, without your consent. Whenever information needs to be shared, I always seek your permission. In cases of acute safety concerns or emergencies, I may be authorized to bypass the need for prior consent or consultation. However, I will inform you about this. Additionally, the following organizations are typically informed as part of the standard practice:

– Referring healthcare professionals, usually the general practitioner: I may inform them that you have enrolled in the practice, the diagnosed condition, and provide a general outline of the treatment and/or diagnostics, along with the potential need for further referral.

The health insurer for financial purposes Safety first
Your well-being is my priority. If I observe any unsafe situations, we will discuss this together, and I will strive to advise you on how to handle these issues or address them collaboratively. Sometimes, it may be necessary for me to refer you to someone who can better assist you in such situations.

In cases of suspected abuse or neglect, if possible, I will first discuss my concerns with you. In severe situations where I believe that insufficient improvement can be achieved through my support or if the situation is acutely dangerous, I may report to "Veilig Thuis" (Safe Home) or contact your general practitioner to share my concerns. The process for handling complaints is defined in the Complaints Regulation, which you can review at the practice.

– In case of a calamity, I will report to the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate and/or the local authorities.
– I adhere to the child abuse/domestic violence reporting code.
– In situations of concern (e.g., potential danger to yourself or others), I may take action by informing your general practitioner or the crisis intervention team.

For more information on confidentiality, you can visit the following website: https://jongpit.nl/geheimhoudi...

Access to Your Records
Upon submitting a written request for access, you have the right to access your own records. More information on this topic can be found in the Privacy Policy. If you want to know your exact rights, you can read about it on the Dutch Data Protection Authority's website.

The therapeutic relationship is built on mutual trust.
This trust is crucial in achieving the intended positive outcome for all involved parties. Recording sessions is only allowed with my explicit consent as the healthcare provider. Similarly, I won't record sessions without your approval.

Working Together with Respect
I strive to work with respect for your cultural background, beliefs, religion, norms, values, and choices. I do not tolerate discrimination, threats, or violence. Considering safety and respect, I will not engage in a conversation if you, your parents, or others present aggressive or violent behavior, or if there is a strong suspicion of such behavior.

Complaints Procedure
Mistakes are made everywhere, and unfortunately, I am no exception. If you have a complaint about (alleged) mistakes or decisions, you as a client or involved party can file a complaint. If you have a complaint, you can first address it with me as the therapist. If the issue is confidential between us or if we cannot resolve it together, you can also directly contact the complaints officer of the NIP (Dutch Institute of Psychologists). The contact details can be found on the website www.praktijkvangrevenstein.nl at the bottom of each page under extra information (complaints and trustperson).

Accessibility
You can contact me via email or phone outside office hours as well. I aim to respond within 2 days. I expect that you only call if it is absolutely necessary. It is important not to share privacy-sensitive information through text messages, apps, or emails! If it is necessary to send me information, you can use ZIVVER (https://www.zivver.com). You can create a free account there and securely send emails with sensitive information.

Crisis
In life-threatening situations, immediate danger, or unsafe circumstances, you should always contact 112.

I do not provide crisis intervention or crisis help, and I cannot organize it either. Only referring parties, such as general practitioners, CJG, district team, or Youth and Family Protection / Safe Home in your region, can refer for crisis help. However, I am available for consultation during a crisis.
In a crisis, you can call:

Ambulante Spoed Hulp (ASH) (between 8.30 am and 5 pm): 088 243 43 43
Crisis admission at Jongeren Crisis Centrum (JCK) (also outside office hours): 088 243 44 94

For psychiatric (JGGZ) crises between 5 pm in the afternoon and 8.30 am the following morning, contact your general practitioner(post). In acute situations, the GP can involve the GGZ crisis intervention team. If there is no referring party, in case of a crisis, contact the national phone number: 0800-2000 www.vooreenveiligthuis.nl

During intake and throughout treatment, the risk of crises and unsafety is continuously monitored to refer you to appropriate care (if necessary) in a timely manner.

Financial Obligations
I run an independent practice. Sometimes, clients pay for their own care, while in most situations, financing is arranged through their health insurance or the municipality. At the start, you will receive relevant information regarding financial matters. You can terminate the collaboration at any time, and the costs will cease immediately. On my part, I can cease support if you do not adhere to the (financiel ) obligations and responsabilities.

As a client, you have the right to access or request a copy of the information in your record. If you find any factual inaccuracies in your record, you can ask me to correct or supplement the information. If you disagree with information in your record, you can request that your statement (your perspective) be added. You also have the right to request the deletion of (parts of) your record. I will generally honor your requests. However, in cases where the interests of others, such as your children, might be compromised, I might (partially) decline your request.

Confidentiality

I am bound by confidentiality. This means I can only discuss you or your child with others with your explicit consent. In exceptional cases, the law might grant me the right to provide information without your consent. In such cases, I will typically attempt to contact you first to discuss this.

Code of Ethics

The Dutch Institute of Psychologists (NIP) has established a code of ethics that I, as a psychologist, must adhere to. You can find the code of ethics here.

Research
Scientific research is essential to provide effective assistance. Much of our knowledge about treatment and diagnostics comes from scientific research. This means that as psychologists, we must continue to develop ourselves, and participating in scientific research is necessary to provide good care. If I intend to use data for a study or research purposes, I will always ask for your permission first. I never use your data without proper authorization.
Your opinion matters! I continuously strive to improve my services and therefore value your feedback on my approach and our collaboration. I gather this feedback by asking you about your experience with our collaboration both at the conclusion of our work and periodically throughout. For this purpose, I often use a questionnaire.

ROM measurements:
At the beginning and end of your treatment, you will receive a questionnaire that assesses your symptoms and measures their severity. This is called a Routine Outcome Measurement (ROM). This measurement aims to capture any changes and is intended to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. The questionnaire used for this purpose will be sent to you via email with a link. These data allow us to track the progress of your treatment and observe how your symptoms are changing or improving. Additionally, as a practitioner, these measurements can help me evaluate the quality of my treatments by comparing the differences between initial and final measurements of various clients to assess the effectiveness of my treatments.

The care performance model, care typologies, and HoNOS+
Every individual is unique, but there are shared characteristics among different people. A diagnosis is necessary, but it doesn't indicate how much care someone requires. The care typology categorizes groups of people based on the quantity and severity of their symptoms and issues.

In private practices, treatments are generally provided for care typologies 1 to 8. Typically, care typologies 1 to 4 (sometimes 5 and 7) are treated in generalist basic mental healthcare, while care typologies 5 and higher are often treated in specialized mental healthcare.

I, as the coordinating therapist, determine the care typology. I use a prescribed questionnaire called HoNOS+ to do this. I, as the practitioner, fill out this questionnaire based on your symptoms and issues.

Based on the answers in the HoNOS+ questionnaire, I determine the most suitable care typology for your symptoms and issues. This provides information about the expected treatment approach, and this information should also be included on the treatment invoice. More information about HoNOS+ can be found on my website, including details on how you can ensure that your data isn't shared with the health insurer or the NZA (Dutch Healthcare Authority).

Rights

The Dutch Medical Treatment Agreement Act (WGBO) outlines the rights and obligations related to psychological treatment. You can learn more about the WGBO here.

My Quality Statement (mandatory since 2017) is available for review in my practice.

More Information

For more information about exercising your rights, feel free to call or email me.