News

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Using technologies to deliver healthcare services

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Nights out, travel destinations, favourite outfits, smashed avocado.
 
People use their phones to document pretty much everything. But what about in the clinical setting?
 
Medical photography has long had an important role in the assessment and management of patients in general practice. Given the majority of today’s mobile phones and tablets are equipped with high-quality cameras, significant memory, and wireless technology, it is easier than ever to capture and distribute clinical photos.
 
The RACGP’s Using personal mobile devices for clinical photos in general practice highlights considerations and potential concerns when GPs take clinical photos on a personal mobile device.
 
‘A clinical photo is likely to capture details of a sensitive nature. In the digital age, a photo can be a permanent record and if it ends up in the public domain, it has the potential to cause embarrassment or psychological harm,’ the document states.
 
The new resource provides details on a number of key points for GPs, including:

• clinical photos and the law
• practice policies and procedures
• consent, data breaches
• collecting, storing and disseminating photos.

‘While clinical photos are a useful tool, care needs to be taken to ensure patient privacy, particularly when they are taken on a personal mobile device that belongs to the clinician and is used outside of the workplace,’ the documents states.
 
Further RACGP resources

• Social media in general practice
• Information security in general practice
• mHealth in general practice – A toolkit for effective and secure use of mobile technology
• Standards for general practices (5th edition)

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clinical photos digital health mobile devices

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