Why shouldn't patients record appointments?

[legion]

I wonder if anyone here has any views on patients deciding, for whatever reason, they want to (audio-) record the advice doctors give them in consultation for their private purpose. It is an issue which I note has already caused a degree of overt contention in the USA, and while their medical services are generally provided on a basis somewhat different from the majority of ours in the UK, what happens in America has a habit of drifting to our shores.

Myself, I don’t see why there should be a problem; but I do know of one case in a town not far from the one I live in, where a patient had to do ‘battle’ with a surgery to stop them trying to ‘ban’ him as a patient altogether, solely and specifically because he, openly, recorded all medical apooinments on some ‘dictaphone’, or something, and not for any other reason. It was in the local papers a couple of years or so ago (and, I think, he ‘won’).

But why the ‘battle’? Any takers on this subject? Anyone who has tried to record for themselves or would like to, or think they might find it useful?  Any doctors recoiling in horror from the very idea…?

[legion]

Looks like things have moved on a bit since I posted here. Now see:-

http://www.healthcarerepublic.com/news/1002363/GPs-warned-patients-recording-consultations-posting-internet/

[izzie]

Some doctors may probably be scared not only for fear of a malpractice suit but also because of privacy issues? Just like patients don't want their conditions to be discussed, some doctors may also not want their techniques for medical diagnosis to be heard by anyone. I dunno, this is just my opinion. This is the first time I've heard about this issue.

[legion]

Great to get a response. Thank you izzie..

I think that notions of privacy and more particularly ‘confidentiality’ are very important with regard to medical consultations(or indeed any other professional consultation) - and,  I’m glad to say, so does the law.

With rare exceptions, doctors are not free to talk with others about your consultation with them without your express or implied consent.

The law does not say that ‘the other way round’, though. The confidentiality ‘belongs’ as it were, to the patient and he or she is free to talk in detail with eg family and friends - or indeed their solicitors- about the way they have been treated.

Basically, a recording of a consultation is just a very accurate record of the way in which a patient has beeen treated; and  an ordinary, genuine, patient behaving reasonably, can do pretty much what they like with it - with a few exceptions.

I do not agree, for instance, that to post such a recording on the net (via , say, youtube) would necessarily prove legal (as was suggested by the article at healthcare republic I linked in my last post). I think that could well fall foul of provisions in the Data Protection Act (amongst other things) and would not help a patient’s case or cause.