Fed up with patients recording their imaging exams, radiographers call for more stringent cellphone policies
An organization for radiographers is calling for more stringent, widespread policies related to the use of cellphones during imaging exams and procedures.
The Society of Radiographers—a trade union representing the diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy workforce across the United Kingdom—says its members are anxious over the rise in patients recording themselves or staff while under their care. Although many organizations have policies on patient cellphone use, SoR says more needs to be done, suggesting these policies should be enacted on a higher level.
“There are hospital trusts that have very good policies around patients taking photos and filming procedures. But this is something all trusts need to have in place. Patients shouldn’t be filming in hospitals without staff knowledge and permission,” Dean Rogers, SoR director of industrial strategy and member relations, said in a news release, adding this problem affects not just imaging staff, but all healthcare workers.
The issue of patients recording themselves or others to post on social media without staff consent took center stage recently during SoR’s Annual Delegates’ Conference. There, several radiographers shared their experiences with being recorded.
Ashley d’Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer working in London, informed delegates that she has observed a growing trend of patients recording their care and posting it to TikTok or Instagram. Though she understands why patients might want to do this, she expressed concern with how this could affect both patient care and staff privacy.
“I had one patient whose relative started filming while I was trying to set up the treatment,” she said. “It wasn’t the right time—I was trying to focus on delivering the treatment. “We had another member of staff who agreed to take photos for a patient. But when the patient handed over her phone, the member of staff saw that the patient had also been covertly recording her, to publish on her cancer blog. As NHS staff, we wear name badges, so our names will be visible in any video. It makes people feel very uncomfortable and anxious.”
An employee from the South Coast who also spoke during the conference echoed similar sentiments but added that being recorded makes her anxious about her job performance. She referenced an oncology patient’s child recording her while cannulating the patient.
“She wanted to record the cannulation, because she thought it would be entertaining on social media,” she said. “But she didn’t ask permission. I spent the weekend afterwards worrying: did I do my job properly? I know I did, but no one’s perfect all the time, and this was recorded. I don’t think I slept for the whole weekend.”
She also referenced many instances of patients taking pictures of equipment and scanners in the department during their appointments.
“People on social media start discussing what’s going on without understanding what the scanner is or what it does,” she said. “But they know it involves radiation. So that may create fear among people.”
Rogers expressed concern that being recorded could affect staff’s ability to deliver proper care. As such, he is calling for more rigorous policies on the use of cellphones in imaging and oncology departments.
“As healthcare professionals, we need to think: Does that recording breach the confidentiality of other patients? Does it breach our ability to deliver care?” he said. “Hospitals need to ensure that they meet the needs of patients, while also looking after staff members’ well-being. And, in this case, safeguarding the one simultaneously safeguards the other—allowing healthcare professionals to do their job in safety, while also protecting patients’ privacy and helping them to receive the best possible care.”
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.