Cameras In the back of your rig ?????

[VentMedic]

We compare this to the hospital, which have camera's, but also have curtains. We cut off clothes and expose patients. So the question this brings up is - who would see these videos? Is this going against a patients right to privacy?

While patiennt privacy is an issue we do have problems with watching so many patients at one time. Many hospitals now have live cams feeding into an off site area for MDs and RNs to monitor various patients in the ED, select Tele and med surg rooms, and every ICU room. They can also act as another set of eyes to prevent mistakes as well as identifying when a patient needs attention quickly. In the ED, we may also record codes or any patient and treatment that is of teaching value.

As far as cameras in the ambulance, it would be great to keep headlines like "129 sex offenders working as EMTs and molesting patients in the ambulance" from getting a chance. It would also be witness for the EMT(P) who is wrongly accused of criminal activity. It could be a defense if the EMT(P) defended themselves from a patient who attempted to do bodily harm to them.

However, some ambulance companies do have a difficult time with just the day to day oversight of personnel, medical and billing issues. They may have a difficult time keeping track of the cameras and the information they record as it refers to patient privacy.

[Richard B the EMT]

So the question this brings up is - who would see these videos? Is this going against a patients right to privacy?

Hmm, a point I didn't think about. Almost any radio signal out there can be intercepted by a number of radio devices, like my own "Police Scanners", as an example. The Amateur Radio Service allows for some TV signals, therefore, it should stand to reason a "Ham TV" communications hobbyist could tune in that signal and see what the OLMC is getting from the Ambulance's camera. Said hobbyist might know radio/TV operating laws and restrictions, but not have a clue about either HIPAA or simple privacy laws, so suddenly, "Suzy MVA Victim" is a YouTube star.

Perhaps N[s:098b30e5d4]0[/s:098b30e5d4]SSB, who I know is a licenced Amateur Radio Service operator, or anyone else who is a "HAM" radio operator would like to comment?

(I'm not licenced as a HAM, but am licensed for General Mobile Radio Service, don't need a license for Maritime Very High Frequency or Citizens Band radio, and am registered as a Short Wave Listener/Monitoring Station. It IS a BIG difference.)

[crotchitymedic1986]

I dont think there has to be a "signal", as it could be recorded within the ambulance, with tapes/disks/memory stick changed out at shift change. Even if you transported 20 patients in 24 hours, and spent 30minutes in the box with each patient, you would have lots of disk space left over. Most services that do transmit patient reports wirelessly, from an onboard computer, have it encrypted so that it can not be hacked.

[Arctickat]

One thing to add to Richard's comment. Regardless of who intercepts and posts a wireless signal over the internet...the feed is going to be traced to one source alone. The emergency vehicle that was on scene.

My patient compartment cameras are hard wired and do not transmit, the recorded content is considered a part of the patient's confidential record. The videos in them do not see the light of day or even get reviewed unless the patient or surviving family raise a legal issue. At that point the video is given over along with all the other documents listed in the subpoena. Although it hasn't ever gone that far...it is our policy. As I mentioned before, we've had two accusations which were quickly recinded when the complainant found out they had been taped.

[Richard B the EMT]

Would somebody clarify which it is: Playback after the patient is delivered to the ER, or live transmission to the OLMC while on the way to the ER?

[crotchitymedic1986]

I guess it could be either way. But even if it is transmitted wirelessly, I would make sure that it was transmitted in an encrypted fashion that couldnt be hacked.

Like most things in this arena, the things it was purchased for would probably rarely be an issue, so you have to think about all the possibilities that it could be used for:

For instance, you are working a pediatric arrest in which you had a long response time (because of your stupid managers or governing body). So during the transport you say something like, too bad we had a 20 minute response time, maybe this kid would have lived -- our director is such a **********, or I wish the mayor would shove that budget cut up his ***, cause he just killed this kid. And then the medic faces disciplinary action for making such comments.