All images used for education in healthcare should be clear of protected health information (PHI). PHI consists of any type of private information that could be used to identify a patient. For a list of what data qualifies as PHI, see the Wikipedia page here.
Ideally, all images captured for software demos or workflow changes would be completed in a test system with fake patient data. However, there are times when test systems don't exist, or the data is not as robust, or they are simply unavailable for use. In these cases, live systems may need to be accessed instead.
When utilizing screen captures from live software systems, it is especially important to remove all instances of PHI. You can use any type of editing software to do this. Photoshop works well to block out or cut out PHI. SnagIt is another great tool that allows you to make edits right in the screen capture window. SnagIt has quick tools for cutting, blurring, and blocking out PHI. When you are editing, have someone else double check your images to make sure you've removed all instances of PHI. If you're not sure what is PHI, look online for a list or use the one I provided above from Wikipedia. When in doubt, remove the data.
If you are creating fake patient data to fill in your image, ensure that the data you invent is not actually real data. Double check medical record numbers, birth dates, and contact info and make sure the names you invent do not actually belong to real patients.
Adrienne,
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with the medical world. What would be the repercussions of accidentally not removing PHI from a captured image? With such a busy lifestyle I'm sure it happens from time to time.
Also, are patients notified when their information is used (but blocked out) for educational purposes?
Erin
I appreciate the healthcare world taking these measures to keep private information private. Would any breach of information be a violation of HIPPA?
ReplyDeleteI am also not in the medical field and not aware of how much accessibility there is to patient's records. I just read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and was amazed how there used to be such disregard to patient's rights and privacy. It's something I would have never thought about.
Thanks for the post Adrienne,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not in the healthcare field, I found your post very beneficial. There have been many situations where I need to edit an image, but wasn't aware of Snaglt. This seems to be an easy to use program with the capabilities that I have needed! Definitely and interesting topic, thanks.