The PDF homework workflow
The current standard for assigning between-session homework in most private practices is a PDF. The clinician emails it, the client prints it, completes it by hand, photographs it, and emails the photo back. This workflow functions, but it has significant friction and several structural limitations.
| Feature | Alternative | Betterjournal |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment delivery | Email attachment | In-app push to client |
| Client completion | Print / type / photograph | In-app, mobile-native |
| Return method | Email reply | Client shares in app; clinician reviews in dashboard |
| Encrypted in transit and at rest | Email is not encrypted | AES-256, Canadian servers |
| Client controls what is shared | No (sent via email) | Yes, client chooses |
| History and organisation over time | Scattered across inboxes | Organised by client and date |
| Integrates with mood and journal data | No | Yes |
| Friction for client | High (print / scan / email) | Low (mobile app) |
The privacy problem with email homework
Email is not encrypted. Sending client homework responses over standard email means health-related content is transmitted via a channel not designed for that purpose. For clinicians working under PIPA and HIA, this is worth examining carefully.
Organisation and session preparation
PDF homework lives in an email thread, disconnected from any other client data. Reviewing it before a session requires finding the email and opening the attachment. Betterjournal organises all responses in the client’s profile, alongside mood check-ins, journal entries, and session briefs, reviewing what a client has shared takes under a minute.
A better homework workflow
Assign, receive, and review between-session work in one place. Built for Canadian private practice.
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