Switchboard is a macOS practice management app built by a psychologist for psychologists, therapists, counsellors, and allied health practitioners in private practice. It keeps your patient records, clinical notes, and referral relationships in one place — offline, on your machine, under your control. No cloud platform required. No cloud sync you didn't configure. No vendor with access to your patients' data.
All data lives in a local database on your Mac. Optional continuous automatic encrypted backup to your chosen secure cloud service or an external drive — you decide where your data goes.
Structured patient files with status tracking across your full caseload: intake, waitlist, scheduled, active, and closed cases.
Timestamped, signable clinical notes with a full amendment and void history. RFC 3161 cryptographic timestamps tie each note to a verifiable point in time.
Every note action — sign, unsign, amend, void — is logged with who did it and when. Nothing is silently overwritten.
Never overlook an appointment email, consent form, or invoice again. Customisable per-case task lists defined once by you to fit your workflow, then applied per patient.
A dedicated referrer database with referral counts, contact details, and fast lookup — so you always know where your work is coming from.
Drag and drop file organization, with optional immediate backup to keep your files safe.
Built for Mac. Runs fully offline on your machine. Does not phone home.
Switchboard is in pre-release testing. Leave your email and we'll let you know when it's available.
Common questions
Why choose Switchboard?
Switchboard is designed to be inexpensive and to keep your patient data exactly where it belongs — on your own machine. Unlike cloud-based practice management platforms, there is no third-party server holding your records and no vendor with access to your patients' data. No cloud platform is required to do your work. If you want backup, you choose the service and you control where your data goes. Switchboard gives you the records management tools you need without the privacy trade-offs that come with cloud-based alternatives.
Can I try Switchboard now?
Yes. If you would like to be part of our beta testing program, email switchboard@sparrow.clinic to let us know you're interested in early access.
What is Switchboard?
Switchboard is a macOS practice management app built by a psychologist for psychologists and therapists in private practice. It keeps patient records, clinical notes, referral relationships, and case checklists in one place — stored locally on your Mac, under your control. It does not share patient data with any vendor.
Is Switchboard designed for solo or small private practices?
Yes. Switchboard is designed specifically for independent practitioners — psychologists, therapists, counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers, and other allied health professionals running their own practice. It handles the clinical records side of practice management: patient files, progress notes, case checklists, referrer tracking, and document management.
Where is patient data stored?
All patient data is stored in a local database on your Mac. Switchboard does not send data to any cloud service unless you explicitly configure optional encrypted backup. No vendor — including Sparrow — has access to your patient records. You retain full ownership and control of your data.
How does Switchboard handle clinical notes and audit trails?
Progress notes are timestamped and signable, with a full amendment and void history. RFC 3161 cryptographic timestamps tie each note to a verifiable point in time. Every note action — sign, unsign, amend, void — is logged with who did it and when. Nothing is silently overwritten.
How is Switchboard different from web-based practice management software?
Most cloud-based EHR and practice management platforms run in a browser and store data on vendor-controlled servers. Switchboard runs as a native macOS app and stores all data locally — no browser, no cloud dependency, no internet connection required to access your records. Your data stays on your machine, not on a vendor's server.
Is Switchboard suitable for US practitioners concerned about HIPAA?
Yes. Most cloud practice management and EHR platforms require you to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with the vendor because they handle your patients' Protected Health Information (PHI) on their servers. Because Switchboard stores all data locally on your Mac, there is no third-party vendor handling your PHI — the data access concern that drives the BAA requirement doesn't arise. You remain responsible for your own device security and backup practices, which is consistent with HIPAA's requirements for covered entities.
Is Switchboard suitable for Australian allied health practitioners?
Yes. The Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) require health service providers to take reasonable steps to protect personal health information from misuse and unauthorised access. With Switchboard, patient data stays on your Mac and is not transmitted to any third-party cloud vendor unless you configure optional encrypted backup. There is no offshore data storage by default, and no vendor with access to your patients' records — which addresses the core data-handling obligations under the APPs for solo and small allied health practices.
When will Switchboard be available?
Late 2026. Switchboard is currently in pre-release testing. Leave your email in the form above and we'll notify you when it's ready.