In Focus: The Photography Forecast
May 12, 2008
Val Sullivan, PT, MS, CWS
Photography is a subject that most wound care professionals are usually eager to discuss. Many in the field realize that photography is a valuable asset to the industry. However, some are frustrated at having to use two separate photography systems; one for monitoring a patient’s care, and another for protection against litigation in court. Others are unsure which of these two areas the facility should be focusing more energy and funds into.
There are several types of options available when it comes to wound care photography, each offering unique advantages. Despite trends that show a move towards the extinction of Polaroid instant photography and a strong move towards digital, instant images still have value in the courts. The industry is also facing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) changes, which further complicates the role of photography. In the interest of simplifying things, clinics would naturally prefer to be able to use one compatible system instead of having to use several photography systems in one facility. This author believes that wound care professionals must lead the push towards advancement of photograph technologies that will bridge the gap between the two worlds: documentation for patient care and for legal protection.
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words … or Maybe More in the Courts
There is tremendous debate among inpatient practitioners about wound photography. Should photographs be taken at all? Who should photograph and what mode of photography should be used? To assist with documentation, hospitals and other inpatient facilities have been using photography to augment narrative wound descriptions, validate treatment plans, and track wound progress, all in the hope of preventing litigation or at least protecting themselves in the litigation process. This effort has often been mired in frustration, particularly at the deposition and/or testimonial phase, when photos put in front of a jury are out of focus, not done according to facility policy and procedure or worse … show a visual decline in the wound status, supporting the plaintiff’s claim that appropriate care was not rendered. “One colorful wound picture will increase the amount of the settlement in a pressure ulcer case,” says Mary Bruno, Bruno Medical-Legal Consultants, Inc., Hernando, Fla. However, the question remains, which is the most effective method of taking pictures for the court room?
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In Photography
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