Why and when do medical photos

Medical photographs are not just pictures. Made before the manipulations, as well as during the surgical intervention and after the completion of the recovery process, they are considered documents that help resolve all conflict situations between the patient, the doctor and the clinic.

Why and when do medical photos

Medical photography is one of the easiest ways to fix the appearance of a patient who has sought medical attention from a surgeon. Most often, the need for medical photography arises during plastic surgery.

With the permission of the patient, the pictures remain in the gallery (portfolio) of the specialist. Such photos are documentary evidence of the procedures performed, and can be used by doctors to:

• a visual demonstration of their own skill;
• discussing the clinical situation of a particular case at a consultation with a view to choosing the best way forward;
• legal defense;
• conducting a comparative analysis of the condition before and after the intervention.

Using medical photos and videos, the patient can see the result of the doctor’s work. As evidence of his innocence, when the expected effect does not meet the patient’s needs, or as a result of the operation, the patient’s health condition has sharply worsened, you can use the photo and video in court. Without documentary evidence, it is impossible to indicate errors made by specialists during the surgical procedure.

For a potential patient, a protocol photo and video recording of conditions was and has become this unprecedented proof that the clinic is responsible for the operations performed, values ​​its reputation and is confident in the professionalism of specialists.

Features of shooting

When conducting photoprotocol recordings, the doctor must comply with medical ethics. First of all, this concerns issues when intimate zones can be seen in the photo. Mandatory conditions that every physician must comply with are the following:

• It is forbidden to take a picture of a lying patient;
• Before the fixation, it is necessary to clearly define the boundaries (and, if possible, to exclude getting into the frame) of certain anatomical zones;
• first photos must be taken before the intervention.

In addition, the doctor must obtain written permission from the patient, in which he must give consent to the survey before the intervention, as well as to fix the recovery period and the final result.

What the law says

The issue of photo and video during the operation of the legislation of Ukraine has not yet been resolved. As practice shows, all issues of a similar plan should be addressed with the patient. Only he can give permission to record the operational process and conduct a survey or photograph before, during and after surgery.

The maximum that a doctor has the right to do is to offer the patient an operation under the scrutiny of the video camera. It should be noted that, ideally, the plastic surgeon’s work process can only be removed using special equipment. Currently, not a single operating room on the territory of Ukraine is equipped with such devices, therefore, doctors’s assistants often take pictures using a tablet or mobile phone.

It is noteworthy that in order for the patient to have the right to prove his case before the forensic expert, the entire process of surgical intervention must be recorded on the video. As for the photos taken by plastic surgeons before and after the operation, as well as in the interval during the recovery period, there is no consensus on the number of images needed. The main thing is to realize the opportunity to cover all stages of the process.