Photographing human subjects in biomedical disciplines: an Islamic perspective

Abstract

Visual recording of human subjects is commonly used in biomedical disciplines for clinical, research, legal, academic and even personal purposes. Guidelines on practice standards of biomedical recording have been issued by certain health authorities, associations and journals, but none of the literature discusses this from an Islamic perspective. This article begins with a discussion on the general rules associated with visual recording in Islam, followed by modesty issues in biomedical recording and issues of informed consent and confidentiality. In order to be deemed ethical from the Islamic perspective, all the aforementioned criteria must conform to, or not contradict, Islamic teaching.

The Ethics and Legality of Using Personal Smartphones to take Medical Photographs

“…A chaperone should be present during the photography process, especially if the patient and photographer/ physician are of different genders 22,23. The name of the chaperone or refusal of a chaperone needs to be documented in the consent form and clinical records 23. Moreover, exposure of the patient’s body parts should be limited to where the disease/condition appears and the photograph should be shown to the patient for final approval.…”

Doctor-patient relationship

“…Guidelines for biomedical recording have been issued by several health authorities, associations, and journals. 33 Photographing patients may have an indirect effect on treatment, by aiding diagnosis; and written consent should be obtained from the patient or his/her legal representative before carrying out the procedure. 33 The identity of the patient should always be concealed.…”

“… 33 Photographing patients may have an indirect effect on treatment, by aiding diagnosis; and written consent should be obtained from the patient or his/her legal representative before carrying out the procedure. 33 The identity of the patient should always be concealed. In recent years, doctors have been investigated for uploading medical data that can identify patients onto public internet forums.…”

“…Subjects’ rights and dignity must not be violated, and their religious and cultural background respected. 33 , 34 …”

Patients' Perspectives and Preferences About Medical Photography in Dermatology: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…14,16,17 Their perception is possibly shaped by many factors, including cultural background, religion, age, and educational status. [18][19][20] Understanding how the patients feel or what they think about medical photography may help medical professionals to take a more sensitive approach to the task and minimize unintended ethico-legal consequences. Furthermore, it may provide evidence for developing and improving medical photography guidelines.…”