I was amazed by Dr Byte's adverse reaction to a request for an overt recording. The use of audio-recordings of consultations has been explored for several decades (1). Consultations are indeed confidential and privileged. The doctor has an obligation of confidentiality; the patient does not and may divulge the content in any way s/he sees fit. The doctor has the privilege of making contemporaneous notes; the patient usually does not. Patient recall may be erroneous. On occasion a parent would, for example, ask me to predict the level of functioning of their disabled child in adulthood. It was not unusual for another member of the team to subsequently report back to me a very different version of my words. Patients will report our conversations, surely we would prefer their reports to be accurate? Patient access to records, reports and recordings goes some way to resolving such problems. But there can be differences in perception even when the content of a written report and recording are identical. (2)
References:
1 Rylance G Should audio recordings of outpatient consultations be presented to patients? Arch Dis Child 1992; 67: 622-4
2 Ilett S J Putting it on tape: audio taped assessment summaries for parents. Arch Dis Child 1995; 73: 435-438
Rapid Response:
Re: “Patientgate”—digital recordings change everything
I was amazed by Dr Byte's adverse reaction to a request for an overt recording. The use of audio-recordings of consultations has been explored for several decades (1). Consultations are indeed confidential and privileged. The doctor has an obligation of confidentiality; the patient does not and may divulge the content in any way s/he sees fit. The doctor has the privilege of making contemporaneous notes; the patient usually does not. Patient recall may be erroneous. On occasion a parent would, for example, ask me to predict the level of functioning of their disabled child in adulthood. It was not unusual for another member of the team to subsequently report back to me a very different version of my words. Patients will report our conversations, surely we would prefer their reports to be accurate? Patient access to records, reports and recordings goes some way to resolving such problems. But there can be differences in perception even when the content of a written report and recording are identical. (2)
References:
1 Rylance G Should audio recordings of outpatient consultations be presented to patients? Arch Dis Child 1992; 67: 622-4
2 Ilett S J Putting it on tape: audio taped assessment summaries for parents. Arch Dis Child 1995; 73: 435-438
Competing interests: No competing interests