Many Australians are recording their doctor visits – some without permission

You are at a doctor’s appointment and are told that you may have a earnest illness. To get a confident diagnosis, you will need to undergo several different tests. The treatment regimen is complicated.

You leave the meeting worried and feeling overwhelmed with information. You realize that you are already starting to forget most of what the doctor said.

This experience is very common. Research shows that people often forget or misremember what they are told during medical visits.

One way to solve this problem is to record a doctor’s visit for later playback or sharing with others. Our recent research we looked at how common it is in Australia and how people utilize the recordings they make.

How recording can facilitate

Studies have shown what happens when patients receive recordings of medical visits significant benefits. The practice helps patients remember and understand their consultations and gives them greater satisfaction with care.

Studies reviewing recordings of consultations with selected people Australian hospitals found that recording also improved patients’ well-being sense of control.

We didn’t know so clearly whether patients were actually recording in real life. And if so, why? Do they do it openly or secretly? What do they think about sharing these recordings with others?

What we learned

We ran online survey adult Australians in mid-2022 by asking them these kinds of questions.

Of the 236 people who completed the survey, 71% said they would consider recording a doctor’s visit. About 26% did so openly (i.e. registered a medical consultation with the doctor’s consent).

The reason was to follow vital medical information and listen again to understand it better. As one person told us:

When diagnosed with cancer, there is a lot of information to consider and process. You may feel rushed and not have time to take notes.

Another recording to facilitate you cope with life with a disability:

I have an acquired brain injury that affects my memory and I couldn’t take anyone with me. I also have a hearing impairment, so I utilize a transcription app to “read” what is being said when the other person is wearing a mask, and I can’t read lips.

Secret recording (recording without asking or informing a doctor) was also quite common – 22% of people in our survey had done it or knew someone who had done it.

Mostly, people recorded secretly because they were afraid that the doctor would refuse if they asked for permission (we know that it happens).

While some people felt uncomfortable asking questions, others recorded secretly because they had concerns about the advice and care they were receiving and wanted a second opinion.

Regardless of whether people recorded with or without permission, they generally appreciated the opportunity to record consultations, especially when they were vulnerable (for example, when going to meetings alone or receiving hard news).

Sharing recordings

Patients described sharing their recordings only with trusted people, such as family or friends involved in their care, or with other members of the health care team, such as their GP, disability carer, or therapist.

Previous research has shown that while many health care professionals support recording, others may feel uncomfortable about being recorded because they fear the recording will be posted on social media or used in other potentially harmful ways beyond their control.

However, our study showed that patients strongly oppose the wider sharing of recordings, e.g. on social media. This was considered a significant breach of trust in the healthcare professional-patient relationship. One person said:

This would be very unethical […] What is shared can very easily be misinterpreted and misinterpreted.

Patients also did not want to share information about their health on the Internet.

Is recording actually allowed?

Recording a private conversation, whether audio or video, is subject to law. In Australia, the law varies between states and territories.

In several jurisdictions (Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory AND Tasmania), patients do not need consent if the recording is solely for their own utilize. Push in South Australia AND Western Australiarecording without permission may result in fines or imprisonment.

Regardless of the law, it is usually best to ask someone for permission to record it.

Just over half (56%) of our respondents wanted their clinic to allow recording, preferably by establishing appropriate policies and guidelines.

Some health services are moving towards supporting recording by recognizing it can be both legal and beneficial. However, we discovered that most of the services are paid little attention to this issue.

Some restrictions

Our survey was only available in English, so it did not reflect the experiences of people from different communities. But previous research found that this group could particularly benefit from recording medical consultations.

We also believe that recording may not occur as frequently as our results suggest. We recruited participants through social media and health consumer networks, and those who responded to the survey were likely already interested in the topic.

Nevertheless, the results provide a useful indication that people in Australia sometimes record their doctor visits and would like the health service to enable them to do so.

What we found also reflects an image from elsewhere. One study in the UK found that 15% of participants secretly recorded their doctor visit. Research in United States showed that almost 19% of people registered consultations (3% secretly and 16% with consent).

Our study supports the idea that the ability to record medical consultations improves patients’ memory and understanding of what the doctor told them. Policies and practices that prevent recording without reasonable cause should be changed to support recording by establishing clear barriers to consent and disclosure.