Is the Use of Video Recording Important in the Intensive Care Unit?

Parsa Farmahin  Farahany; Zahra  Torkashvand

doi:10.18502/ijme.v18i15.19961

Parsa Farmahin Farahany MSc of Operating Room, Department of Operating Room, Faculty of Paramedicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Zahra Torkashvand Department of Surgical Technology and Anesthesiology, School of Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijme.v18i15.19961

Keywords: Medical ethics, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Health professionals’ rights, Informed consent, Medical malpractice, Clinical documentation.

Abstract

One of the key ethical-legal concerns in the medical profession is patients’ trust in the quality of care and adherence to professional standards. This viewpoint explored the ethical-legal dimensions of using surveillance cameras in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), focusing on a specific legal-ethical case. In this scenario, the patients’ family caregivers express doubt about the quality of care and request access to recorded footage. From an ethical-legal perspective, documenting events by the medical team—provided that privacy, data protection regulations, and visual monitoring standards are respected—can help safeguard patients’ rights, clarify staff performance, and prevent legal misunderstandings. While acknowledging the potential benefits, this study also outlined legal considerations, such as patient notification, access limitations, and data management protocols. The key conclusion is that the use of cameras in ICUs, if aligned with legal and institutional requirements, can enhance trust, demonstrate ethical compliance, and reduce legal complaints.