A nurse colleague uses his personal cell phone to take a photo of a patient’s wound and then sends a message with the photo to the primary care provider via a text. Please consider the following in your discussion post:
What principles of patient confidentiality might be an issue? Consider legal and ethical.
How might this nurse use a communication device to support safe patient practices?
What would your organization’s policy on 'personal communication device use in a patient care setting' reveal related to this case? (If your organization does not have a written policy, or you are not currently working in an organization, what do you think should be included in such a policy and why?)
Sample Solution
The use of a personal cell phone to take a photo of a patient's wound and sending it via text message raises several issues related to patient confidentiality. From an ethical perspective, taking such photos without the patient's knowledge or consent is considered an invasion of privacy. Furthermore, it could be argued that failing to obtain informed consent before sharing sensitive information with anyone outside the care team violates the principle of autonomy.
In terms of legal considerations, this practice could be in violation of HIPAA, which protects patients' private health-related information from unauthorized disclosure. Additionally, if photos are taken without obtaining proper authorization from the patient, state laws regarding medical records could also be applicable. In some cases, state laws may even require that any photographs taken for medical purposes should only be used for those specific reasons or purpose and not shared with third parties. Therefore, by sending photos via text message without appropriate authoriza