Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Australas J Dermatol. 2013 Aug;54(3):192-7. doi: 10.1111/ajd.12063. Epub 2013 May 29.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Clinical photography has long been an important aspect in the management of dermatological pathology and has many applications in contemporary dermatology practice. With the continuous evolution of digital and smartphone technology, clinicians must maintain ethical and medico-legal standards. This article reviews how dermatology trainees are utilising this technology in their clinical practice and what procedures they follow when taking photos of patients. We review the ethical and legal considerations of clinical photography in dermatology and present a hypothetical medico-legal scenario.
Dermatology registrars were surveyed on their use of personal smartphones and digital equipment for photographing patients in their clinical practice. Numerous medico-legal providers were approached to provide medico-legal advice about a hypothetical scenario.
We found that the use of these technologies is prevalent among dermatology registrars and all respondents reported regular use. Clinicians should routinely obtain and document adequate patient consent in relation to clinical photography, utilise strict privacy settings on smartphones and other digital devices and ensure that the images are stored on these devices for minimal periods. Express consent documentation in the clinical file puts the clinician in a more defensible position if a complaint is made to the medical board or privacy commissioner.
背景/目的：临床摄影一直是皮肤病学管理的重要方面，在当代皮肤病学实践中有许多应用。随着数字和智能手机技术的不断发展，临床医生必须保持道德和医疗法律标准。本文回顾了皮肤科住院医师如何在临床实践中利用这项技术，以及他们在为患者拍照时遵循的程序。我们回顾了皮肤病学临床摄影的伦理和法律考虑因素，并提出了一个假设的法律案例。
对皮肤科住院医师使用个人智能手机和数字设备为临床实践中的患者拍照的情况进行了调查。还联系了许多医疗法律提供者，就一个假设的情况提供医疗法律建议。
我们发现，这些技术在皮肤科住院医师中普遍使用，所有受访者都报告了常规使用。临床医生应经常获得并记录与临床摄影有关的充分患者同意，在智能手机和其他数字设备上使用严格的隐私设置，并确保将图像存储在这些设备上的时间最短。如果向医疗委员会或隐私专员提出投诉，在临床档案中记录明确的同意书可使临床医生处于更具防御性的地位。
