Surya Aswath, K Dhanalakshmi, Sekar Mohnish, Preetham Chinnu, Sudha Selva, A Sudarvizhi
Department of Dermatology, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Chengalpattu, IND.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 16;17(7):e88112. doi: 10.7759/cureus.88112. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Accurate diagnosis and therapy of skin illnesses depend significantly on visual inspection in dermatology, the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes. The study aims to identify the perception of patients toward clinical photography.
This study uses a prevalidated, semistructured physical questionnaire with 23 questions, translated into the local language, to gather data from dermatology outpatient department patients. It focuses on patient demographics, experiences with medical photography, acceptability, and areas for improvement. Conducted at a tertiary care institute over six months, it employs a cross-sectional design with convenience sampling. The questionnaire addresses demographics, preferences, consent, and storage practices. Clinical photography, critical in dermatology, aids in diagnosis, treatment, education, and documentation through detailed visual records of skin conditions.
The age distribution indicating that the largest group, 97/300 (32.3%), was over 60 years old, followed by those aged 18-30 years (54/300, 18%), 31-40 years (54/300, 18%), 51-60 years (52/300, 17.3%), and 41-50 years (43/300, 14.3%). The gender distribution was approximately equal, with women representing 151/300 (50.3%) and men 149/300 (49.7%) of the study population. Our study revealed that 157/300 (52.3%) of participants had prior experience with clinical photography, predominantly using smartphones, 106/157 (67.5%). Only 143/300 (47.7%) reported being asked for consent, with verbal consent being the most common, 84/143 (58.7%). Preferences favored department-owned equipment for photography and secure storage solutions, reflecting concerns about privacy. Participants expressed discomfort with publishing images in journals (30%) but showed greater acceptance for academic uses like sharing with other physicians 69/300 (23%). The need for improved awareness, detailed consent forms, and standardized practices was emphasized by the majority of participants.
The findings highlight the need for standardized consent protocols, transparent communication regarding the purpose and utilization of clinical photographs, and secure storage practices to maintain patient trust and confidentiality.
在皮肤科，准确诊断和治疗皮肤疾病在很大程度上依赖于目视检查。皮肤科是一门专注于皮肤、毛发、指甲和黏膜疾病的诊断、治疗和预防的医学专业。本研究旨在确定患者对临床摄影的看法。
本研究使用一份经过预验证的、具有23个问题的半结构化纸质问卷，该问卷已翻译成当地语言，用于收集皮肤科门诊患者的数据。它侧重于患者的人口统计学信息、医学摄影经历、可接受性以及改进领域。在一家三级医疗机构进行了为期六个月的研究，采用横断面设计和便利抽样。问卷涉及人口统计学、偏好、同意和存储做法。临床摄影在皮肤科至关重要，它通过对皮肤状况的详细视觉记录，辅助诊断、治疗、教育和记录。
年龄分布显示，最大的群体是97/300（32.3%）年龄超过60岁，其次是18 - 30岁的人群（54/300，18%）、31 - 40岁的人群（54/300，18%）、51 - 60岁的人群（52/300，17.3%）以及41 - 50岁的人群（43/300，14.3%）。性别分布大致相等，女性占研究人群的151/300（50.3%），男性占149/300（49.7%）。我们的研究表明，157/300（52.3%）的参与者有临床摄影的既往经历，主要使用智能手机，占106/157（67.5%）。只有143/300（47.7%）的人报告被要求给予同意，口头同意最为常见，占84/143（58.7%）。参与者更倾向于使用科室自备设备进行摄影以及采用安全的存储解决方案，这反映了他们对隐私的担忧。参与者对在期刊上发表图像表示不满（30%），但对与其他医生分享等学术用途接受度更高，占69/300（23%）。大多数参与者强调需要提高认识、提供详细的同意书以及规范做法。
研究结果凸显了制定标准化同意协议、就临床照片的目的和用途进行透明沟通以及采取安全存储做法以维持患者信任和保密的必要性。
