Ethics, morals and patient photography

Abstract

This article reports on an investigation into the ethical and moral aspects of patient photography in an attempt to raise awareness of these issues among medical photographers. A questionnaire was used to determine common practices and attitudes towards the photography of patients in medical illustration departments across the country. Some wider issues, including the photography of fetuses and perinatal deaths are also examined. The results of the survey indicate that the majority seem to act with the patients′ best interests in mind, however there are still areas that could be improved upon.