The Ethics and Legality of Using Personal Smartphones to take Medical Photographs

Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2019 May;19(2):e99-e102. doi: 10.18295/squmj.2019.19.02.003. Epub 2019 Sep 8.

Abstract

Photography in the medical profession is an asset that may help during patients' follow-up, monitoring the progression of diseases, getting a second opinion and in medical educational activities. Advances in technology, specifically smartphones, have enabled medical professionals to obtain high-quality photographs with minimal effort and photography experience. This article discusses the ethics and legality of using personal smartphones in a medical professional setting for medical photography. Written informed consent should always be obtained from the patient and should include details about how the photographs will be used.

Keywords: Ethics; Informed Consent; Medical Education; Medical Legislation; Oman; Photography; Publications; Smartphone.

MeSH terms

  • Documentation / methods*
  • Documentation / standards
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Jurisprudence
  • Middle Aged
  • Photography / ethics*
  • Photography / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Smartphone / standards*
  • Smartphone / statistics & numerical data