Sharing with a Therapist

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The My Sleep Tracker app is freely available for anyone – not just sleep therapists and doctors. With cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBTI), people with sleep issues (a.k.a. clients) are asked by CBTI sleep therapists (or doctors) to log their nightly sleep patterns – categorizing each block of time when they are sleeping or trying to sleep. These client logs are normally shown to sleep therapists, who analyze patterns of sleep and recommend the steps needed to address sleep problems.

Sharing Sleep Information

If a therapist does not purchase a sharing code, clients must manually provide the logged data to their sleep therapist, e.g., by handing the therapist their phone. A therapist may choose to purchase a ‘Sharing code’ from the app store to streamline the data transfer, review, and analysis of client sleep information. All features related to data sharing (including the in-app purchase of a sharing code and opting into sharing) can be accessed by selecting Sharing from the main menu.

Streamline Sharing Sleep Information

Within the My Sleep Tracker app, the in-app purchase of a sharing code allows the purchaser (typically a sleep therapist) to remotely view the sleep data entered by another user (typically a client of the therapist) if and only if the client opts in to sharing.

Sharing and HIPPA Compliance

To conform to the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) privacy guidelines, My Sleep Tracker does NOT share any medication or recreational drug data someone may choose to enter into the app. A client is responsible for manually providing this regulated information to a sleep therapist or doctor. All other sleep-related information logged in My Sleep Tracker and sleep metrics are not regulated by HIPAA, and when a client and therapist have agreed to share, the client's sleep information can be remotely viewed by the therapist at their convenience.

Potecting Everyone's Privacy

The following three-step process must be used to activate remote viewing of client sleep data by the therapist:

1. The therapist wanting to use My Sleep Tracker to remotely view a client’s sleep data makes an in-app purchase of a secret sharing code. (This normally costs about $6 US. The purchase is processed by the app store.)
2. The therapist gives the purchased secret sharing code to the client – typically in person or via email or text.
3. The client must explicitly opt in to the sharing arrangement. Opting in is done by entering the lengthy sharing code provided by their therapist.

This process is used because it protects the personal identity of BOTH the therapist and the client. Until both parties agree to sharing, there is no way for anyone to use the app to see or look up identity information or logged data from any other app user (client or therapist). For any information to be shared:

• both parties must have a relationship/knowledge of each other independent of the My Sleep Tracker app; and,
• both parties must agree to the sleep data sharing arrangement.

At any time EITHER party can also use the app to stop the sleep data sharing arrangement.