Hello hroman32-ga,
I anticipated a quick and simple answer to your question but my
research uncovered a very complicated picture regarding the use of
consumer electronics in hospitals. Picture phones are just the latest
iteration on taking photographs, making audio and video recordings and
using cell phones. Hospital policies on use of these technologies have
to cope with maintaining patients’ health and protecting their privacy
while enhancing their doctors’ ability to provide the best care and
protecting them from frivolous lawsuits.
Picture phones were introduced less than two years ago but they have
taken off very rapidly and are very popular and the market for them is
expected to keep growing. The addition of video/picture capability to
mobile phones has opened the door to unanticipated uses which raise
issues of ethics and privacy. They make possible new ways of
communicating. Private and public institutions are just becoming aware
of the need to regulate their use. They offer some very positive new
capabilities that are already being exploited for telemedicine in
hospital, emergency service and consumer settings.
My research located some articles and discussions about the new issues
evolving around the use of picture phones and the implementation of
rules and policies by a variety of companies and organizations. I did
not find any hospital policies dealing with picture phones but in
light of hospitals’ fears about videotaping and the new HIPPA
requirements for protecting patient privacy, I expect that hospitals
will have to deal with picture phones in the near future.
Hospitals have implemented a variety of policies around two aspects of
the picture phone – mobile communications and photographic/video/audio
record keeping. Cell phones are prohibited in many hospitals because
of their interference with medical equipment. This position has been
challenged by recent research. Cell phones are in ubiquitous use by
hospital employees and patients alike and the policies regarding their
use are likely to change.
I wasn’t able to find hospital policies about taking photographs of
patients. Policies about making video tapes are available. I was
surprised to find that hospitals are afraid of the possible use of
patient video tapes in lawsuits and would like to do away with video
taping despite the fact that video taping of births has become routine
and expected.
This was a very interesting research project and I’ll be happy to
clarify any of the information I’ve collected.
Good luck with your project.
czh
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PICTURE/CAMERA PHONES – EMERGING TRENDS
=======================================
http://www.giussani.com/articles/art_03-07-28_pictphones.html
Camera Phones Raise Privacy Concerns
Samsung -- which invented them -- has forbidden camera phones in its
facilities. A very revealing paradox.
by Bruno Giussani
First published in the Wall Street Journal Europe
28 July 2003
The wireless telecommunication industry is sitting in the hot seat. It
is easy to predict that it will soon be confronted with consumer
anger, legal battles and possibly even governmental intervention --
which will come in the form of new regulations or bans.
But recent history teaches, however, that new laws specifically
drafted to react to a given type of new technology are rarely good for
society and for business. This is particularly true because, as
mentioned, usage often evolves in unforeseeable ways, and the
unexpected cannot be captured into a sensible legal text.
***** This is an interesting article that discusses emerging issues
for the effect of camera phones on privacy in various settings
including hospitals.
http://www.textually.org/picturephoning/archives/cat_privacy_concerns.htm
ARCHIVES FOR THE CATEGORY: PRIVACY CONCERNS
***** The 25+ postings about various organizations and policy makers
attempting to deal with the emergence of picture phones raises
interesting questions about how society will deal with this new
technology. Some of the issues raised relate to business concerns
about trade secrets, cameras recording crimes, voyeuristic camera
phones, camera phones in workplaces and schools, courtrooms and
government installations.
http://www.textually.org/picturephoning/
picturephoning.com covers the new world of picture and video phones
***** This is a blog that also links you to lots of related press
sites and other blogs.
Camera phone book theft banned in Japanese bookstores
- Moblogging (wiki)
by Joichi Ito at July 08, 2003 06:53 PM
People are using digital cameras and camera phones in Japan to
photograph pages of magazines and books instead of buying them.
***** This blog has an extensive discussion of the copyright and other
issues involved.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,57692,00.html
New Privacy Menace: Cell Phones?
02:00 AM Feb. 17, 2003 PT
Concert halls, art museums, gym locker rooms and other public places
where photography is greatly discouraged may have problems from
another device -- cell phones.
As the quality of the images improve and the phones become more
pervasive -- some Asian markets claim upwards of 30 percent
camera-phone users, said Seamus McAteer, analyst for Zelos Group --
more discussion and even public bans of the phone will arise, he said.
"The clandestine camera is a hornet's nest for potential social
issues," McAteer said.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/64/29649.html
Pervert panic prompts pic phone bathing ban
Posted: 07/03/2003 at 15:51 GMT
Fears that picture phones could be used by perverts to take pictures
of half-dressed youngsters have prompted UK councils to ban the use of
the technology at swimming baths and other public sports facilities.
http://www.nbc4columbus.com/target4/2321477/detail.html
New Technology Could Invade Privacy
Pictures From Phones Could Secretly Be Transmitted
Many fitness centers overseas are now banning picture phones to
protect clients' privacy, Walston reported.
Managers at some local gyms said that there are no policies in place
regarding camera phones, but they are monitoring the technology.
According to a statement from Bally Total Fitness, "no photography,
filming or videotaping is permitted in our clubs without permission,"
and that "this rule also applies to cell phone cameras."
The Attorney General's Office and the Federal Trade Commission say
that there are no laws or regulations protecting people's privacy from
picture/videophones. According to the Electronic Privacy Information
Center, there are a handful of states starting to deal with the
potential problems.
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handphones/0,39001719,39133939,00.htm
Camera-phone dos and don'ts
28/5/2003
Camera-phones are all around us, but we're still learning to properly
harness their usage.
In other countries, cases have been reported of camera-phones being
used for peeping and other unsavory acts. It's no surprise then that
some companies here, including the Raffles hotel chain and heath club
operator Planet Fitness, have banned them from changing rooms.
Such rules will become increasingly difficult to enforce as
camera-enabled phones become more and more prevalent. To prevent these
devices from becoming a source of paranoia, we should all learn some
basic rules of etiquette.
That's why CNETAsia has pieced together some guidelines for users
here:
http://www.mobtastic.com/news/content/09122002_camera_mobile_phones.asp
Built-in Camera Mobile Phones Increasingly Used for Business Purposes
http://firechief.com/ar/firefighting_picture_phone_proves/
Picture phone proves helpful at tanker fire
=======================================
MOBILE/CELL PHONE POLICIES IN HOSPITALS
=======================================
http://www.imakenews.com/health-itworld/e_article000175060.cfm?x=a22YtLT,aJPvFBs
Should The Hospital Cell Phone Ban Be Lifted?
Many hospitals and clinics still have signs posted "Turn off all cell
phones." The reason is the fear of electromagnetic interference with
medical devices. All cell phones, PDAs with phone capabilities,
tablets, or other devices emit radiation. This radiation is
electromagnetic energy, potentially causing electromagnetic
interference (EMI) with medical devices and other wireless
communication devices in the vicinity.
It is important to understand the real risk of EMI and develop a
policy. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations (JCAHO) may be looking for such a policy in the future.
http://www.mohca.org/presentations/JoeMorrissey.ppt
Wireless Communication and Medical Device EMI in the Hospital
***** This is a Motorola Labs PPT presentation that deals with the
issues of the safety of using cell phones in hospitals.
http://www.wpxi.com/health/2009244/detail.html
Cell Phone Danger In Hospitals Disputed
Researchers Say Electrical Interference Is Negligible
UPDATED: 6:45 p.m. EST February 27, 2003
Hospital bans against cell phone use may be outdated, according to two
new studies.
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites/news.cfm?contentid=749&orgid=351&oid=351
Should Mobile Phones be allowed in hospitals?
Feb 28, 2003
The debate about whether mobile phones should be allowed in hospitals
is taken up by both the BMJ and the Lancet this week.
The Lancet carries a call from researchers at Imperial College for a
review of the current ban on the grounds that mobile technology has
advanced and there is no real evidence of a risk to patient safety.
http://www.studentbmj.com/search/pdf/03/03/sbmj52.pdf
http://www.studentbmj.com/back_issues/0303/education/52.html
Using mobile phones in hospitals: what's the worst that could happen?
Layla McCay and Andy Smith look at the evidence for the potential
dangers of using mobile phones in hospitals and discuss whether
banning mobiles in hospitals is reasonable
Evidence of the dangers of mobile phone use
Clinical risk from interference from mobile phones is low at distances
of more than 2 m, but closer than this the danger is real. In
operating theatres, intensive care units, or at the bedside of
patients connected to electrical devices, the risk of interference is
clinically important: forbidding the use of mobile phones is
essential. On ordinary wards, though, the risk is low, and in areas
like the hospital canteen, the risk is negligible. So is the general
ban of mobile phones in hospitals justified?
Where to ban them?
Hospital policy on mobile phones varies throughout the world. In the
United States, the use of mobiles was previously banned but this has
been relaxed to restriction in high-risk areas only.7 In Australia,
using a mobile is banned within 2 m of any piece of medical equipment.
In France, mobile use is completely banned in hospitals.4
***** This article gives an introduction to the issues involved in
regulating mobile phones. It does not deal with camera/picture phones.
http://www.bicsi.org/AVForums/aca-1/dispatch.cgi/Publicforum/docProfile/106656/d20030429230333/No/t106656.htm
1821. Cell Phone Usage In Hospital
I am the Telecom Manager at a hospital, and wanted to know if anyone
has any information on cell phone usage within a hospital environment.
Lately there is a concern, with the amount of cell phones in use
today, that the transmission can interfere with some medical
equipment. As I search the web I am getting conflicting reports. If
anyone can add any input it would be greatly appreciated.
****** See responses to request for information.
http://www.ochsner.org/hospital/policies.html
Ochsner Clinic Foundation – Hospital Policies
Cell Phone Policy
Cellular telephones may not be used above the 1st floor in the
hospital or clinic or in the Emergency Department. Phones brought
above the 1st floor must be in the “off” position because in “standby”
mode these devices may transmit and potentially interfere with
sensitive electronic medical equipment.
http://www.materprivate.ie/patientinfo/policies.asp
Mater Private Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin 7
Mobile Phones
You can use your mobile phone in your room and all public areas within
the hospital. In the interests of other patients and staff we would
ask that you refrain from using your mobile phone between your room
and public areas.
======================================================
USE OF PICTURE/CAMERA PHONES IN HOSPITALS AND MEDICINE
======================================================
http://www.textually.org/picturephoning/archives/000625.htm
Video Phone technology in hospitals for long-term patients
Video-phone technology has been installed at the Royal Melbourne
Hospital (Australia) on a one-year trial basis, to allow long-term
patients to see and talk to their loved ones every day. This article
in The Herald Sun, follows an interesting post by Steve Outing in
E-Media Tidbits, on a Boulder Colorado Community Hospital opening up
soon, which will equip patients' rooms with refrigerators, TVs, VCRs,
DVD players and, wonderful, Internet access.
http://www.wirelesshealthcare.co.uk/wh/index.htm
Wireless Healthcare provides you with independent analysis of key
players, markets and ehealth related technology.
http://www.wirelesshealthcare.co.uk/wh/pressroom.htm
Mobile Video Phones May Disappoint Application Developers.
Cambridge UK 22nd July 2003: Wireless Healthcare is warning health
providers and ehealth vendors not to expect too much from the current
generation of mobile videophones. This comes a week after research,
published by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
revealed that remote consulting costs the NHS almost £100 per session
more than conventional face to face appointments.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/mobilematters/story/0,12454,880147,00.html
Mobile matters
Model workers
In Bosnia, medical staff of the Swedish peacekeeping battalion use
picture phones, and a number of Swedish hospitals are running trial
schemes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2995518.stm
Picture phones save doctors time
Doctors at a Welsh hospital are leading the way in using modern
technology to help speed up a patient's treatment.
When a specialist is not to hand to make an instant diagnosis, junior
doctors are using mobile phones to send picture messages of an X-ray.
Doctors claim the use of mobile phone technology has already reduced
waiting times for orthopaedic patients.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/13-8-19103-0-22-39.html
Picture phones help save accident victims
FIREFIGHTERS in Scotland are testing the latest mobile phone
technology to help save the lives of people injured in road crashes or
fires.
Crews in Fife will be the first in Britain to use photo-messaging to
send pictures of casualties to hospitals to enable staff to assess
their condition and mobilise the appropriate medical teams.
The scheme, launched yesterday, is expected to change the way
casualties are managed in the critical early stages of treatment after
an accident.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_791549.html?menu=
X-rays by mobile phone
A hospital is using picture-messaging mobile phones instead of
couriers to send X-rays to consultants.
==================================================
VIDEO TAPING AND PHOTOGRAPHY POLICIES IN HOSPITALS
==================================================
http://www.fammed.unc.edu/mch/mchweb/video.htm
VIDEOTAPING/STILL PHOTOGRAPHY IN LABOR & DELIVERY AT THE UNC HOSPITAL
- JANUARY 1999 POLICY:
UNC Hospitals recognizes the increasing emphasis on and desire for
photography during the birth experience. Every attempt will be made to
accommodate a couple’s desire to videotape/photograph their child’s
birth based on the following guidelines.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/videotapedbirths001003.html
Lights, Camera, Lawsuit -- Videotaping Births Causes Legal
Complications for Doctors, Hospitals
As no-taping policies become more common in hospitals across the
country, the Houston case highlights an emotional struggle between
patients’ wishes and doctors’ efforts to protect themselves from
costly litigation.
Statistics are hard to come by, but 40 percent of obstetricians
surveyed recently by University of Iowa researchers said they have
prevented patients from videotaping births. Eighty percent of that
group cited legal concerns. The American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists discourages recording any medical or surgical procedure
for patient memorabilia.
http://www.ahcpub.com/ahc_root_html/hot/archive/hrm062000.html
More OBs prohibit birth videos, but it’s difficult
to enact hospital policy
From Healthcare Risk Management | June 2000
Study shows younger doctors more likely to object
More obstetricians are prohibiting video cameras during childbirth out
of fear that videotapes could be used against them in a malpractice
case, according to new research. The trend is the latest development
in a longstanding debate over whether such tapes really pose a risk.
http://www.levermore-rich.com/writing/9.html
Editorial: Ultrasounds
In 1998, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
issued a statement that hospitals should have policies covering the
videotaping of deliveries and other pregnancy-related procedures. They
also announced that they “strongly discourage any recording of medical
and surgical procedures for patient memorabilia.”
http://www.tmlt.org/customer/services/reporter/JanFeb2001.pdf
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS of VIDEOTAPING MEDICAL PROCEDURES
http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/pub_bok2_000585.html
American Health Information Management Association.
Practice Brief: Patient Photography, Videotaping, and Other Imaging
(Updated)
This practice brief was reviewed following the publication of the
August 2002 amendments to the HIPAA privacy rule. The content remains
accurate.
***** This is a lengthy policy paper aimed at the medical practitioner
in order to minimize legal liability. It covers the issue of outsiders
(family, friends, etc.) taking pictures.
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Clarification of Answer by
czh-ga
on
27 Aug 2003 13:37 PDT
Hello again Henry,
Thank you for your patience on getting this clarification. I have
conducted extensive additional research about your question and I’ve
found that businesses, including hospitals, are just becoming aware of
the possible need to develop explicit policies to address the use of
picture phones. I’ve collected several of these articles so that you
can get a sense of how the implementation of this technology is
beginning to be noticed and regulated because of concerns about
privacy and piracy.
As I indicated to you before, most hospitals have policies governing
the use of cell phones. The primary reason for issuing these rules is
for patient safety. Recent research shows that the total ban on cell
phones in hospitals may have been too stringent and unnecessary and in
light of this information some hospitals have re-evaluated their cell
phone policies. Picture phones are identical to cell phones in this
regard and will fall under the hospital’s cell phone policy.
I also found an organization that specializes in hospital policy
consultation and got some additional information on both the safety
and patient privacy aspects of using picture phones in hospitals. I
spoke with Garry Walsh of Hospital Policy Net, Inc.
http://www.hospitalpolicynet.com/contact.html and he gave me the
following information.
Mr. Walsh explained that all hospitals have to have a biomedical
"equipment management program" that deals with the safety of all
equipment. Hospitals must assure that the use of consumer electronic
devices will not impede medical signaling. Consequently, all hospitals
will have a policy about cell phones. These policies fall into three
broad categories: 1) total prohibition, 2) total permission, or 3)
selective prohibition. Hospitals are charged with maintaining an
“environment of care” and cell phone policies are based on maintaining
safety and decorum. Thus, after determining whether cell/picture
phones are safe to use, the hospital may still decide against
permitting them because these devices may be disruptive to patients’
privacy or comfort.
Regarding the issue of hospital policies regarding patient privacy and
picture phones, Mr. Walsh explained that all hospitals must assure the
patient’s right to privacy and all picture taking must be done with
the patient’s express permission. This is a global policy that covers
photography, video, film, and any other means of obtaining images of
the patient – including picture phones.
Henry, I hope that you will find this information helpful. I’m sure
that you will see more articles about this topic in the general and
business press as picture phone technology becomes more ubiquitous.
Good luck with your explorations.
czh
=================================
PICTURE/CAMERA PHONES AND PRIVACY
=================================
http://www.nbc5.com/money/2353767/detail.html
Picture This: Cell Phones More Intrusive Than Before
Will Picture/ Video Phones Be Banned In Certain Places?
POSTED: 4:43 p.m. CDT July 23, 2003
Gym companies declined to go on camera, but several say they are
monitoring the technology. Bally Total Fitness, for one, says "no
photography, filming or videotaping is permitted (inside) clubs
without permission," and that also applies to cell phone cameras.
Larson, who represents the cell phone industry, says common sense
restrictions should be enough to protect people's privacy.
"We believe that anywhere a regular camera should be banned, a cell
phone camera should be banned," Larson said.
Parker said technology is ahead of law here. There are no federal
regulations that address privacy when it comes to picture and
videophones.
Some states are starting to look at the issue, questioning how to
deter phone pirates without curbing the rights of people who use the
gadgets legitimately.
http://www.online-pr.com/Online-PRThoughts/onlinepr03-07-07thoughts.htm
07/08 -- Pixel Lifting. I'm indebted to my brother-in-law, George
Wolfe, for alerting me to a trend of what I will call "pixel lifting."
This is theft of material through snapping a photo of it on a camera
cell phone. It is developing in the Far East.
We have written about camera phones before, but we never got into
alternate uses. What is shaping up is a battle similar to what the
recording industry is having with song-swappers, except this time it
will be with everyone else.
PR practitioners should pay attention to what is happening in the Far
East. It will get here too, perhaps not as quickly as picture
-obsessed Japan, but it will come. Start thinking now about the
problems and opportunities of picture phones and think through a few
policies for your organization. For example, what should be the
policy of someone snapping a picture of a co-worker in an embarrassing
position and sending it to others -- e.g., sleeping at his desk or
wrapped in the arms of a secretary? What should be the policy of
allowing picture phones near confidential financial and marketing
material? Should users attending confidential meetings be forced to
check in picture phones like gunfighters checking their arms at the
door of a saloon?
http://www.w2forum.com/item2.php?id=14009
Camera phones raise legal issues.
Full Article : It's Friday night, and you've scored tickets to a
sold-out concert. Now, you want to make your friends really jealous!
What's this? Your phone has a camera. Before you could only leave
messages on voicemail for your friends, all the while taunting them
with the sounds of the band in the background. Now, why not send them
an MMS picture of the band. But wait - no cameras or photography
allowed.
Does a phone count as a camera? No, it's still viewed as a phone. But
now as camera phones begin to increase in popularity on the market,
they are going where cameras cannot go, and this raises some serious
legal issues.
Does a camera phone fall under the same laws as a 'hidden camera'?
While the picture quality is not perfect, it's really no worse than
the quality of the fuzzy photographs in the tabloids.
http://www.smartmobs.com/book/book_bib_ch_9_0_30.html
Always-On Panopticon...or Cooperation Amplifier
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=12800008
The Death Of Privacy--Again July 14, 2003
Businesses need to pay closer attention to what employees, customers,
and visitors are doing with camera phones and other intrusive
technologies inside their facilities and on their property, analyst
Carl Zetie says.
http://www.ebglaw.com/article_876.pdf
New Technology Can Jeopardize Your Product, Your Records and Your
Privacy
================================
WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IN HOSPITALS
================================
http://www.mco.edu/pr/newsmco/2003_August_1_9_28_48.html
Hospitals Relax Rules On Use of Wireless Technology
August 1 2003
With cell phones and pagers becoming more pervasive in daily life,
Medical College of Ohio Hospitals are giving its doctors, staff
members, patients and visitors more freedom to use their wireless
instruments.
Effective immediately, cordless phones, one-way pagers, personal
digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless local area networks (WLANS) may
be used in all areas of the hospital, according to a newly revised
policy on use of wireless equipment in the hospital.
In addition, cell phones, two-way pagers and other such devices can be
used in non-clinical areas such as elevators, corridors, entrance
halls, cafeterias and outpatient registration waiting areas.
However, the ban on use of cellular phones, two-way pagers, and
walkie-talkies in patient-care areas will remain in effect because
they can produce electromagnetic radiation that interferes with
hospital monitors and other sensitive equipment.
http://www.emctest.com/Holaday/PA4.htm
Patient Care and Communications Technology Make Peace at UK Hospital
In the medical field, technology developments have provided sensitive
and accurate electronic devices that greatly improve critical patient
care. In the communications field, developments catering to the demand
of an ever-hectic society for convenient communications have given us
the ubiquitous cellular phone. Both technologies improve our lives in
their own ways, however they sometimes do not mix well with one
another.
Hospitals, in general, and patient care visitation areas, in
particular, are locations where cell phone use may be logically
expected. Family members, physicians and pharmacists must be contacted
and patients, visitors and doctors need to contact their office,
family or friends. Seemingly innocuous signals sent between cell phone
and base station are a potential danger in many patient care areas.
The FDA has warned that these signals may interfere with the proper
functioning of critical care devices and recommends that hospitals
take steps to manager cell phone usage.
Recently, the Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire, UK,
developed a policy and a system to address the issue of cell phone
use. Recommendations issued by the UK Health and Medical Devices
Agency prompted the hospital administration to initially establish a
total ban on cell phone use throughout the health care campus. As in
all hospitals, several factors combined to complicate the successful
implementation of cell phone restrictions: the trend toward extended
visitation hours, the difficulty of controlling access to many
hospital areas, the demanding nature of emergency and critical care
units and the small, unobtrusive size of new cell phones. In the end,
hospital staff found the ban impractical to enforce. Said Malcolm
Sperrin, Medical Physicist, " Our initial blanket ban on the use of
mobile phones had proved impossible to police. People either forgot or
didn't care. Any detection relied on a nurse or doctor actually seeing
someone using a phone." …
The Princess Margaret Hospital's cellphone policy and plan which
allows communications and patient care technologies to peacefully
coexist – albeit at arms length – enjoys the substantial support of
staff and administration.
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/childrens/patient_guide/services/hospital_policies.html
Hospital Policies
Cellular Phones
Please do not use cellular phones in direct patient care areas. The
use of cellular phones in patient care and medical procedure areas can
disrupt medical equipment performance. The medical staff can direct
you to public telephones or areas appropriate for usage.
Patient Relations 415) 353-1936
http://www.hospitalpolicynet.com/contact.html
1.800.749.7144
Garry Walsh
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