Employees share patient images in closed Facebook group at Randers psychiatric ward in Denmark
A number of employees at the troubled psychiatric ward in Randers have shared images of hospitalized patients in a closed Facebook group. Earlier this month, Region Midtjylland reported this breach of data protection to the Danish Data Protection Authority, which has issued a clear assessment. The authority stated that it is unequivocally against the law for employees to share patient information, including images and health data, in violation of confidentiality agreements and internal guidelines.
Concerns about the medical standards at the facility led the region to announce on Monday that a senior physician had been sent home earlier this year. Both the physician and department management have since resigned. The hospital management became aware of the situation through a whistleblower report. Moving forward, 1,500 patient cases will be reviewed.
Recent media reports revealed that images of patients were shared in the Facebook group, including one picture showing the now-resigned physician lying on the floor, seemingly pretending to have overdosed on antipsychotic medication while a patient looked after him.
Kent Kristensen, a health law lecturer at Aalborg University, agrees with the Data Protection Authority’s assessment. He emphasized that even with patient consent, sharing such images in a Facebook group remains illegal, noting that hospitalized patients cannot give valid consent due to their dependency status.
The Data Protection Authority considered the Facebook group case closed unless new information surfaces. They believe any repercussions for those involved should be handled through employment law. The directors at the psychiatric region who were in place when the Facebook group was created are no longer employed at the hospital. The group has since been shut down. Regional Director Jonas Dahl expressed regret, stating that the incidents have heightened awareness and that new guidelines for social media use are forthcoming.