A new picture-sharing phone and tablet application for doctors and medical students is raising concerns about patient privacy.
Figure 1 allows the sharing of medical and clinical pictures between health practitioners to assist colleagues with patient diagnoses and to aid studying students.
It is one of three new clinical picture-sharing apps to hit the Australian market this year.
But Assistant Professor Bruce Arnold from the University of Canberra says Figure 1’s privacy policies rely too much on individual users to keep distinguishing features of patients confidential.
“They’re basically waiving all responsibility, [saying] it’s not our problem, it’s the doctor’s problem, or possibly it’s the patient’s problem,” he said.
“There are real questions here about whether this is going to work, and if something goes wrong, can we fix it?”
The Figure 1 app includes tools for users to blackout distinguishing features like eyes and tattoos.
“A lot of doctors or students probably won’t be very good at blacking out the tell-tale spots,” said Professor Arnold.
Annie Williams, a representative from the Canadian company, says strict guidelines for users and the developers are in place to protect patient identities.
“The medical images in Figure 1 have the information that might identify a patient removed from them,” she said.
But the ABC has gained access to the app and found many pictures appear to show distinguishable faces.
Figure 1 allows doctors and medical students to share and discuss cases.
These pictures, without the accompanying patient information, were shown to Assistant Professor Bruce Arnold.
“I suspect with a little bit of information I could readily identify who that patient was,” he said.
Professor Thomas Faunce, a former doctor and lawyer from the Australian National University, also has doubts about whether the privacy policies are being adequately adhered to.
“I’ve looked at the app website with their recommendations for privacy and I don’t think they’re adequate,” he said.
“They’re couched in terms of recommendations and exhortations to do the right thing.
“In principle it doesn’t quite sound enough, and also I’m concerned whether in practice it would be implemented all the time.”
Associate Professor David Rolph from the University of Sydney says the app needs stricter guidelines, especially given users are worldwide.
“Individual users may take different views about how much alteration needs to occur in order to ensure patient privacy,” he said.
“The app also relies on the technological proficiency of users to maintain patient privacy, which in many cases might be effective, but not necessarily in all cases.”
Figure 1 ‘fantastic’ learning tool for medical students
Despite the privacy concerns, the professors are optimistic the app could be a great educational tool.
Medical students, like Lauren O’Rourke from the ANU Medical Students Association, agree.
She says the app allows for collaboration, social interaction and study on the job.
“They can be a great tool for students to use, to accompany the rest of their learning,” she said.
“They’re a great way to put a picture with a clinical scenario to help ingrain that in the student’s mind.
“It definitely does have a place in connecting you with your colleagues and sharing stories and scenarios as you learn.”
She says medical students and practising doctors are also becoming more reliant on phones and tablets to assist them.
A report released last year by Epocrates showed 86 per cent of 1,063 clinicians surveyed regularly used smartphones in their professional activities.
ANU medical student Kelsey Josling says the app is of particular benefit to young doctors working in rural and regional areas.
“When you’re in a place where there’s no textbooks or no library, you’re in the middle of the Northern Territory, and there’s cell phone service, it’s a great way then to consolidate your learning,” she said.
“Figure 1 is a fantastic tool for communication between medical students, for education.
“It’s an educational tool, that will ultimately improve patient outcomes.”
Source: ABC