Filming of Hospital Patients

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/opinion/filming-of-hospital-patients.html

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To the Editor:

Re “Hospital to Pay $2.2 Million Over Filming of 2 Patients Without Their Consent” (news article, April 22):

It is very easy for employees and visitors to take pictures in hospitals and capture images that inadvertently reveal the identity of patients. Employees of government agencies and private companies that deal with high-security information may not use cellphones with cameras in the workplace and in many situations may not even bring them onto the premises.

This approach is beyond what is necessary in the medical environment. But employers and employees should be aware of the risks of taking photos in the medical workplace.

Medical institutions and physician practices should have specific enforceable policies about the confidentiality of images created in the medical workplace. These rules should be reinforced repeatedly with employees and visibly posted for visitors. As NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital learned, the consequences of not doing so are grave.

HERBERT RAKATANSKY

Providence, R.I.

The writer is clinical professor emeritus of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University.