The U.K. Society of Radiographers (SoR) has started a debate by asserting that patients should be prohibited from photographing or filming clinical procedures without permission.
In a statement posted on its website on 16 June, the SoR said that patients who record medical procedures for use on social media risk compromising their own treatment, as well as the privacy of other patients and staff.
Furthermore, patients recording procedures for TikTok, Instagram, and other social media sites can make staff anxious and uncomfortable, potentially undermining treatment, it noted.
At the SoR's Annual Conference, a London-based therapeutic radiographer, Ashley d’Aquino, in her capacity as union representative, recounted examples of issues caused by such recordings. These included a relative causing a distraction with recording a video while cancer treatment was being set up, and a patient covertly recording a member of staff.
However, she added, there are valid reasons for patients to record medical conversations. “Patients making audio recordings of consultations, for example, can enhance their understanding and retention of medical information.”
A radiology assistant also told the SoR that a patient recording a procedure may inadvertently include other patients in the recording, breaching their confidentiality in the process, as in one case she witnessed: “There are people who come into our department who have a limited social media presence because of risks to their safety. Patients filming make them feel unsafe in their own hospital.”
“There are hospital trusts that have very good policies around patients taking photos and filming procedures. But this is something all trusts need to have in place. Patients shouldn’t be filming in hospitals without staff knowledge and permission,” said Dean Rogers, SoR director of industrial strategy and member relations.
To discuss this issue, SoR CEO Richard Evans made national media appearances on Tuesday, 17 June.
