Privacy & Patient Consent

How Symetri protects patient data, HIPAA considerations, consent best practices, and device security.

This guide provides general information about best practices. It is not legal advice. Consult with a healthcare attorney familiar with the laws in your jurisdiction for advice specific to your practice.

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How Symetri Stores Patient Data

Everything Stays on Your Device

Symetri is a fully local app. There is no cloud server, no account sync, no external data transmission.

Local only

Photos and case records are stored in your iPhone’s protected Documents directory. Nothing is uploaded to Symetri servers or any third party.

iOS encryption

All files use iOS Data Protection (completeFileProtection). Files are encrypted at rest and inaccessible when the device is locked.

Face ID lock

Symetri requires Face ID or passcode on launch and re-activates automatically when backgrounded.

Screen recording blocked

Symetri blocks iOS screen recording broadcast to external displays while active.

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Patient Consent Fundamentals

Why Written Consent Matters

Even if a patient verbally agrees to photos, publishing them without documented consent creates legal liability. Written consent:

• Protects your practice if the patient later claims they didn’t agree
• Specifies exactly what the photos can be used for
• Complies with HIPAA’s authorization requirements
• Is a professional standard expected by regulatory bodies in most jurisdictions

Minimum Consent Elements

A valid patient photo consent form should include:

1. Patient identification — name, date of birth, date of signing
2. Description of the photos — body area, treatment, approximate dates
3. Purpose statement — what the photos may be used for
4. Scope of use — internal records vs. social media vs. marketing
5. De-identification option — whether patient allows face to be shown or prefers eye blur
6. Right to withdraw — patient can revoke consent for future use
7. Patient signature and date
8. Witness or practitioner signature

Consent Categories

Patients should consent to specific uses, not blanket permission:

Use	Requires Separate Consent?	Notes
Internal medical records	No	Covered by treatment consent
Staff training / education	Yes	Specify “internal educational use”
Social media	Yes	Specify platforms
Website gallery	Yes	Specify “clinic website”
Advertising / paid promotion	Yes — higher standard	Often requires separate authorization
Shown to other patients during consultation	Yes

Use separate checkboxes for each category so patients can consent to medical records but decline social media, or consent to website but decline paid advertising.

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HIPAA Considerations (US Practices)

Are Patient Photos PHI?

Yes. Patient photographs are Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA when associated with a patient’s identity and medical treatment — even if the photo doesn’t show the face.

Publishing Before/After Photos

To publish a patient photo on social media or your website, you need a HIPAA-compliant Authorization specifying:

• The information to be disclosed (the photos)
• Who can view it (the public)
• The purpose (marketing, education)
• An expiration date or event
• The patient’s right to revoke

De-Identification as an Alternative

HIPAA allows publishing photos without authorization if the image is de-identified. For facial photos, this typically requires:

• Eyes obscured (use Symetri’s Eye Blur feature)
• No visible tattoos, birthmarks, or identifying features
• No name, date, location, or other metadata in the image

De-identification under HIPAA is a high standard. If there is any reasonable way to identify the patient, the image is still PHI. Consult your attorney before relying on de-identification.

State Law May Be Stricter

Many US states have medical privacy laws stricter than HIPAA — California (CMIA), New York, Texas, and others. Always check state-specific law for your practice location.

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International Considerations

EU / UK (GDPR / UK GDPR)

Patient photos are “special category” personal data requiring explicit documented consent for each specific purpose. Patients have rights to access, correct, and delete their data.

Because Symetri is fully local with no cloud processing, deletion requests are satisfied by deleting the case from the app and removing any exported files from Photos and any platforms where they were published.

Australia

Patient photos are regulated by the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. Health information requires explicit consent for secondary uses including social media.

Canada

PIPEDA (federal) and provincial health information laws apply. Photos used for marketing require patient consent separate from treatment consent.

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Using Symetri’s Privacy Features

Eye Blur for Published Photos

For any photo where the patient has not consented to full face identification, enable eye blur before exporting.

1. Open the case editor
2. Tap the Eye icon in the toolbar
3. Toggle Eye Blur on
4. The AI automatically detects and blurs both eyes
5. Adjust position and intensity with the sliders if needed

Eye blur applies to both before and after images simultaneously, so the comparison remains fair and consistent.

Consent-Based Case Naming

Use a naming convention to flag consent status directly in the case name:

Case Name Suffix	Meaning
- OK	Full consent — can post with face visible
- EYES	Eye blur required before posting
- NO	Records only — do not export for social

Deleting Patient Data

If a patient revokes consent or requests deletion:

1. Open Symetri and find the case
2. Delete the case — permanently removes the case record and all image files from the app
3. Delete any exported files from your Photos library
4. Remove any files uploaded to social media or your website from those platforms

Symetri does not retain any copy — once deleted from the app and Photos, the data is gone.

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Recommended Consent Workflow

Before the First Appointment

Send a photo consent form with your intake paperwork. Digital forms (DocuSign, PracticeBetter, etc.) create a timestamped record.

At the Appointment

1. Confirm the patient signed the consent form.
2. Note which categories they consented to.
3. Encode consent status in the case name (- OK, - EYES, or - NO).

Before Posting

1. Check the case name consent flag.
2. OK → export with full branding.
3. EYES → enable eye blur, export.
4. NO → records export only, do not post.

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Device Security Checklist

1. Strong passcode — 6-digit or alphanumeric, not Face ID alone
2. Auto-lock set to 30 seconds or 1 minute (Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock)
3. iCloud backup enabled — so data survives if device is lost
4. Find My iPhone enabled — device can be remotely wiped if lost or stolen
5. Do not share the device with non-clinical staff for patient-facing use
6. Face ID / Touch ID enabled for Symetri (prompted on first launch)

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Summary

Topic	Key Point
Data storage	Local only. Nothing leaves your device unless you export and share it.
Encryption	Full iOS Data Protection — files inaccessible when device is locked.
Face ID	Required on launch. Auto-activates when app is backgrounded.
HIPAA	Patient photos are PHI. Publication requires explicit written authorization.
Consent	Separate categories for records, social, website, and advertising.
De-identification	Eye blur + no other identifiers. High standard — consult your attorney.
Deletion	Delete case in app + delete from Photos + remove from any platforms published.