Building patient trust in healthcare:
How Dr. Jenny Shields transformed collaboration with Tresorit Engage

Project at a Glance

Dr. Jenny Shields, a psychologist and healthcare ethicist, has long been aware of the risks that come with handling sensitive patient information — especially after witnessing how easily healthcare data can end up in the wrong hands. For her, looking for a solution wasn’t just about compliance but about building trust with her patients. She wanted a secure, HIPAA-compliant tool that would protect her patients’ privacy, streamline their onboarding process, and facilitate the exchange of information. Her goal was clear: to ensure that sensitive data could be shared safely and effortlessly, so she could focus on delivering care, without stigma or judgment influenced by how records are accessed or handled.

The Company

Dr. Jenny Shields is a licensed clinical psychologist and healthcare ethics consultant based in Texas. With over a decade of experience, she helps high-performing professionals — like physicians and executives — manage burnout, moral injury, and ethical challenges. Using evidence-based therapies, she supports patients in reconnecting with their values and finding clarity in demanding environments. The protection of patient confidentiality is both a clinical and ethical imperative in her work.

The Challenge

Dr. Shields regularly handles deeply sensitive information — everything from substance use history to traumatic childhood experiences. This data is essential to understanding the full scope of her patients’ needs, but it also requires the highest level of care and discretion.

Dr. Shields found herself uncomfortable with the possibility that someone might still have access to her patients’ data, as many services scan documents with AI. “Some services allow me to sign a Business Associate Agreement to store my data with them, but there may still be eyes on that data in a way that I’m not comfortable with — and that my clients might not be comfortable with either,” she notes.

She was searching for more than just HIPAA compliance — she needed a solution that provided true end-to-end privacy and gave her patients the reassurance they deserve. At the same time, she needed something practical and intuitive for busy professionals. “If you’ve ever met an executive, a lawyer, or a doctor, you know email inbox management is not their strong suit,” she says. Therefore, Dr Shields looked for an intuitive solution that would protect sensitive information while simplifying patient collaboration.

Requirements

Her key requirements included:

The Solution

Dr. Shields implemented Tresorit Engage to offer a branded, secure portal tailored for each of her patients. “Zero-knowledge means that when my patient uploads a file to Tresorit, it goes into the shared folder where I can access it — but Tresorit has no key to view the content. That extra layer of protection is exactly what many of my patients are looking for.” she explains.

Implementation & Results

For Dr. Shields, adopting Tresorit Engage meant more than just adding a secure tool — it meant reimagining how she collaborates with patients. As a solo practitioner, she needed a repeatable, secure onboarding process that wouldn’t add to her workload. With Engage, each of her patients gets a secure, private, branded space where they can find everything in one place — from forms and consent documents to session resources and audio recordings.

“Before Engage, clients struggled to find shared files in their inboxes. Now, everything lives in one secure, easy-to-use place — they can upload, download, and stay on track without the email back-and-forth. It’s simple, secure, and easy to use — and that makes a huge difference in my daily practice,” Dr. Shields notes.

She set up onboarding rooms she can easily duplicate for each new patient — a process that previously involved lengthy email threads and scattered documents. With built-in task lists and the possibility of e-signature requests, patients know exactly what to do next. Dr. Shields can assign, track, and manage patient documents effortlessly.

But she doesn’t stop at onboarding. Dr. Shields also uses Engage for assessment rooms for cases involving extensive document exchange and review. These rooms make it easy to handle multiple files being shared both ways from assessment questionnaires to evaluation reports.

Meanwhile, the Documents tab serves as a living document hub for each patient, keeping consent forms, therapy notes and session materials easily accessible — not lost in email inboxes. Patients can review what they’ve signed and return to shared resources anytime.

Dr. Shields notes how simple Engage is to use:

“What I really appreciate about Engage is that it just works — even for someone like me who’s not super tech-savvy. It integrates beautifully into how I work. It gives me exactly what I need to collaborate securely with my clients.”

Since implementing Engage, Dr. Shields has seen meaningful results:

For Dr. Shields, the all-in-one nature of Tresorit Engage is invaluable:

“As a solo practice owner, my goal is to keep my tech stack as lean and simple as possible. I want fewer subscriptions, fewer moving parts. Having access to e-signatures and secure document sharing in one place makes Engage incredibly useful.”

Ultimately, Tresorit Engage has transformed the way she runs her practice:

“Nothing makes my heart happier, as a solo practitioner, than having a streamlined, repeatable system I can trust. Engage gives me a clean, efficient way to get clients started and keep things moving.”

Conclusion

For Dr. Shields, safeguarding patient trust is not just a professional obligation — it’s a deeply personal commitment shaped by years of experience in clinical care and healthcare ethics. In her solo practice, where sensitive mental health information is the norm, compliance isn’t just about checking boxes. It’s about doing right by the people who place their trust in her. By implementing Tresorit Engage, Dr. Shields has not only simplified and secured her workflows — she’s elevated her entire patient experience.

“Using Tresorit Engage, I can confidently tell my patients that not only am I HIPAA-compliant, but I’ve also taken additional steps to ensure their sensitive information gets to me securely,” Dr. Shields concludes.