If a sheet of paper from the notepad you use to take proper messages has patient information on it, it must be:

When handling patient information, it is essential to follow privacy regulations, such as those outlined by HIPAA in the United States. If a sheet of paper contains any patient information, it must be shredded to ensure that the information is completely destroyed and cannot be read or reconstructed. Shredding provides a secure method of disposing of sensitive data, thereby protecting patient privacy and preventing unauthorized access to personal health information.

Simply throwing the paper away does not guarantee that the information is unreadable, as it could be accessed by anyone who goes through the trash. Erasing the information may leave traces that someone could potentially recover, making it an inadequate method for safeguarding sensitive data. Handing the paper to the patient would be inappropriate if it contains unnecessary or discarded messages, as this could expose more information than what the patient should have access to. Thus, shredding is the most secure and compliant option in this scenario.