To think this is wildly inappropriate use of SM?

[Thatsnotmyotter]

I follow an old acquaintance on Instagram who works for the NHS in a support role. Today on his Instagram feed there was a photograph of a patient’s ECG. There were no identifying details on the print out that I can see, however it was an abnormal trace and it would be quite easy to work out who it belonged to if you were that person’s relative or doctor I would have thought based on location and the results. I’m 99% sure it goes against the policy of the trust he works for to post stuff like this. (I also work for the NHS albeit for a different trust.)

AIBU to consider reporting this? I just feel like if you’re posting stuff like that on a public forum, you’re probably also doing other hugely stupid and disrespectful stuff tbh.

Op you need to give more information on the context of the picture. Why did he share it??

I can't see why anyone would care. Not like the patient's name was on it. People want to report everyone and everything these days.

How would it be identifiable? It's not right that he has done this but I don't get how family etc could identify it as someone they know?

The only way someone would be identifiable through an ECG is if the pic includes the printed area with name, DOB etc.

It’s not a fingerprint/DNA. It’s just electrical activity which looks almost identical in all healthy people and abnormal in virtually identical patterns for the various types of heart attack, rhythm disturbances etc.

If this is just a “look at this anonymised ECG” for interest among medical people, that’s really not a big deal. But if references are included that make the person identifiable there is a problem...not so much that the actual ECG was shared, more that it gives away lots if implied medical, confidential info.

How do you know it’s a patients ECG? I get them all the time as part of regular check ups and 100% no one would know it was mine if you couldn’t see my info on it. You need to share the reason he posted though what was the caption?

But how do you know permission wasn’t given? What was the caption?

There were no identifying details on the print out that I can see, however it was an abnormal trace and it would be quite easy to work out who it belonged to if you were that person’s relative or doctor

How?

What's the context of the picture being posted OP?

My ECG readings are weird AF to me but in the wider scheme of things there are probably tonnes of people with the same and I'd be amazed if it was identifiable. I'd also be zero bothered if someone managed to piece it together.

donq love your caption! I shall indeed lay off the pies. Briefly.

Not being funny why are you so arsed when it's not identifiable? It doesn't really go against data protection because no body would no about that trace not even the patient probably if they came across it. Some people just like to be busy bodies. Maybe the person was just sharing an example of a bad trace. Instead of trying to dob your colleagues in over nothing how about you try a bit of support. NHS workers have a lot on their plate without their colleagues making assumptions. Also if your that assed why don't you say I saw your Instagram post and just wondered what it was. You clearly don't like this person

If it's not identifiable then it's not a breech of privacy.

The trust might have a social media policy. But you can't identify someone by their ECG. It sounds like you are looking for a fight tbh.

From time to time a patient consents to a de-identified image being shared by a health professional such as a doctor or nurse for teaching purposes. Doesn’t sound like this person is a health professional if they are in a support role?

If they’re not a health professional, don’t have consent or are sharing it for a non-educational purpose I’d contact them and suggest they remove it.

Well the OP doesn't seem to be around.

I don't see the problem to be honest.

I can’t see any problem. If it was my ECG I wouldn’t give a stuff.