Obtaining patients' informed consent for clinical photographs: An audit of dermatology registrars' practices at a tertiary hospital

Abstract

As a visually oriented specialty, dermatology lends itself to the practice of taking clinical photographs for improving the delivery of healthcare to patients. Photographs can aid in diagnosis and map the location of skin lesions for monitoring and treatment. In the future, taking clinical photographs may even become a legal requirement of the patient health record. Despite the obvious benefits of taking clinical photographs, dermatologists should be aware of potential medico-legal risks of this practice, particularly in regard to patient privacy. Informed consent should be obtained from all patients prior to taking clinical photographs. It is also recommended that this consent process be documented thoroughly. We surveyed dermatology registrars at a tertiary hospital on their patient consent practices. The dermatology department then implemented a new patient consent form for clinical photographs, and resurveyed dermatology registrars on their patient consent practices. We present the results of this audit to determine the impact of a formal-consent form on the informed consent review process.L615731842 <br />