# How should clinics protect patient health data?

URL: https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-should-clinics-protect-patient-health-data
For: Clinicians | Data protection and privacy | Last reviewed 23 July 2026

**Answer:** Clinics should treat patient health data, especially mental health data, as highly sensitive. Collect only what is necessary, give each role only the access it needs, track consent, keep audit trails, use secure communication and privacy-safe reminders, report to leaders in aggregate where names are not needed, and set retention and deletion rules. Product controls, clinic policies and staff habits must work together. In Kenya, the Data Protection Act 2019 applies.

### Safeguards to build into daily work

- Role-based access: finance staff usually need billing context, not therapy notes.
- Separate sensitive clinical notes from appointment and billing data where appropriate.
- Leadership reports show attendance, workload and outcomes without names unless needed.
- Reminder wording and channels should not reveal the reason for a visit.
- Audit trails for record access, edits, exports and consent changes.
- Individual logins, strong passwords and locked, updated devices.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check obligations against current Kenyan requirements.

Read the full guide: [Secure Infrastructure for Mental Healthcare: What Clinics Should Expect](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/blog/secure-infrastructure-for-mental-healthcare-what-clinics-should-expect)

## More questions

### Is it safe to share client details on WhatsApp?

No. Personal messaging apps sit on phones that may be shared and back up outside your control. Use them, if at all, only for booking messages with no clinical detail.

### What about paper files?

Keep any paper records in a locked cabinet with a sign-out log, and plan to move them into a secure, access-controlled system over time.

## Related questions

- [Do I need parental consent to keep records for a child I counsel?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/do-i-need-parental-consent-to-keep-records-for-a-child-i-counsel)
- [How can clients access their own therapy records in Kenya?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-can-clients-access-their-own-therapy-records-in-kenya)
- [How long should a mental health practice keep client records, and how should it dispose of them?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-long-should-a-mental-health-practice-keep-client-records-and-how-should-it-dispose-of-them)

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**About Tymira Health:** Tymira Health is a healthcare technology company based in Nairobi, Kenya. It builds Tymira360, a practice management and EHR platform for mental health, physiotherapy and dental providers, clinics, hospitals, NGOs and insurers across Africa.

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