U.S. health care providers who volunteer their medical skills abroad could violate patient privacy ethics if they post pictures of their patients on Facebook or other websites, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, HealthLeaders Media reports.
For the study, researchers from the University of Florida’s College of Medicine examined the Facebook profile pages of 1,023 medical students and residents. Although researchers found no breaches of patient privacy in the U.S., they found 12 photos depicting patients in developing countries.
Lindsay Thompson — study author and assistant professor of pediatrics at UF College of Medicine — said HIPAA privacy and security rules do not apply to patients outside of the U.S.
However, she added that health care providers have an ethical obligation to follow the medical privacy laws of the state or country where they practice.
Challenges
According to the study authors, many medical students and health care providers might be unaware of patient privacy laws in other countries.
Erik Black — study author and assistant professor of pediatrics at UF College of Medicine — said using patient consent forms in other countries could pose ethical challenges if patients believe they need to sign the form to receive medical care.
Black added that posting patient photos online could put patients at risk if a particular culture has objections to receiving treatment from U.S. health care providers.
Black said, “We are not telling people not to do anything. We are telling them to think about it. Use your moral and ethical compass” (Commins, HealthLeaders Media, 2/22).
Source: iHealthBeat
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