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Mobile apps come in handy to connect patients, doctors

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CHENNAI: Six months after a massive tumour was removed from his heart, Mohammad Faizal saw his innards on public display on social networking site Facebook. The culprit who posted the picture was the same man who saved him: His surgeon.Although Faizal's name wasn't mentioned, there was enough information in the doctor's descriptive 150-word caption to make the 45-year-old squirm. "There were even a few comments poking fun at my condition," he said. The surgeon later apologized and took off the picture when he protested.Gadgets in operation theatres might help doctors provide insight for other medical professionals, but it has also led to a spike in violations of patient confidentiality. In most cases pictures are posted by people they trust. Worse, some of them go viral. Doctors posting photos of surgeries without the consent of their patients is raising eyebrows in the medical circles. "We don't have a number as very few know their photo is being circulated without their consent, but there's a definite increase in the number of doctors using social networking sites as a forum to showcase their surgeries, caring little about their patients' confidentiality ," said J A Jayalal, national co-ordinator, academic wing, Indian Medical Association .He said although there is no law, the code of ethics by the MCI states that the patient's name and personal details should not be revealed without their consent unless asked to by the court."I recently put up a photo of a 93-year-old woman with a tumour on her tongue on my Facebook wall. My intention was only to start a discussion among my colleagues," said a senior oncologist in Chennai."A doctor from the US mess aged me to say I was violating the patient's confidentiality and I ought to remove the photo. I did," he said.Most doctors TOI spoke to admitted to having used public online platforms to brainstorm specific cases with fellow practitioners, and some put them up as trophies. While names are withheld, they inadvertently supply other details that allow patients to be identified. "Even if it's an X-ray or an imaging used to diagnose the patient, his or her consent must be sought," said Dr George Thomas , former editor of Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. "So we have adequate guidelines? Yes. Are they followed? Not really. Are violators punished? Rarely," he said.