Image Library Consent Policy
From Paeds.co.uk the online paediatrician's encyclopaedia
Where appropriate, images submitted to the site should be accompanied by a signed consent form.
Non-identifiable images do not necessarily need consent forms: extracts from the GMC guidance have been included below to help you decide.
Specific GMC Guidance
The following are extracts from the GMC's guidance on confidentiality. The link to the full guidance can be found at the bottom of this page.
- Q8 Can I use identifiable records for teaching?
- Anonymised records will usually be sufficient for medical teaching and education. If for any reason you cannot anonymise records, you must not disclose non-anonymised data for education without the patient’s implied or express consent.
- Q11 I have some interesting case studies of patients which I would like to write up and publish. Do I need consent?
- It is very difficult to anonymise case studies fully, especially if they are of interest because they deal with a rare condition, or the detailed history of a patient with mental illness. Similar problems apply to many photographs.
For this reason, you must obtain express consent from patients before publishing personal information about them as individuals in media to which the public has access, for example in journals or text books, whether or not you believe the patient can be identified. Express consent must therefore be sought to the publication of, for example, case-histories about, or photographs of, patients.
- 12 What about using case studies and photographs in teaching?
- You should obtain express consent, wherever that is practicable. If it is not practicable, you may use photographs and case studies in teaching and training, provided the material is not published or otherwise in the public domain.
You must do your best to ensure that no patient is identifiable from such material.
- Q19 Can I publish case studies about patients who have died?
- You should follow the patient’s wishes, if they are known to you. If not, you should consider whether publishing information which could be identified would cause distress to relatives or the patient’s spouse or partner.
If you are satisfied that the publication would not cause distress, and that you have no reason to think that the patient would have objected, you may use the case study or photo in published material. You should of course do your best to ensure that the patient is not identifiable from the material you publish.
