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Consent for recording video

To ensure your privacy and safety, we ask all patients and visitors to be extremely cautious when using their mobile devices to document experiences in patient care areas on any Penn State Health property.

Think Before Recording

Smartphones and tablets are everywhere these days, and their amazing capabilities make it very easy for us to connect with our surroundings. We love to take pictures and videos of everything we see and do as a way to record and remember important moments. Some of these moments happen right here at Penn State Health. We understand the desire to capture those experiences, but there are a few things to consider when it comes to recording audio or video for personal use in clinical settings.

To ensure your privacy and safety, we ask all patients and visitors to be extremely cautious when using their mobile devices to document experiences in patient care areas on Penn State Health property. Always respect the privacy and rights of others. Realize that recording videos in patient care areas may be a violation of the law and could disrupt caregivers.

We advise patients and visitors to refrain from recording their experiences without the consent of everyone involved, including Penn State Health physicians, nurses, and other staff.

What should be done?

  • Always get verbal consent from other patients, caregivers, and anyone else who may appear in the video before recording.
  • Please do not record if anyone has declined consent.
  • Patients and families are welcome to record video in the privacy of their room or other treatment areas when no other patients or Penn State Health employees are present.
  • Patients are discouraged from recording video in public areas where other patients and visitors may be accidentally included without their consent - such as cafeterias, corridors, and waiting rooms.

What could happen?

  • Legal action can be taken under HIPAA or the state Wiretapping Law if consent is not given by everyone in the video, including other patients and Penn State Health employees.
  • Caregivers can become distracted by unwanted or disruptive recording.
  • Relationships between patients, families, and caregivers can be put at risk.
  • Anyone who improperly uses mobile devices for recording may be asked to leave our property and may not be permitted to return.

Help us protect the privacy of all our patients and caregivers. Be responsible. Be respectful. Thank you!