ABSTRACT
Conventional or digital video recordings and clinical photography form part of the patient's record. Although consent to certain recordings, such as X-rays, is implicit in the patient's consent to the procedure, health professionals should always ensure that they make clear in advance if any photographic or video recording will result from that procedure. If the health professional wishes to make a photographic and video recording of a patient specifically for education, publication or research purposes, people must first seek their written consent to make the recording, and then seek their consent to use it. The purpose and possible future use of the video must be clearly explained to the patient before their consent is sought for the recording to be made. As with recordings made with therapeutic intent, patients must receive full information on the possible future users of the recording including the fact that it may not be possible to withdraw it once it is in the public domain.
