Confidentiality in Case Reports

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sumstorm

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Can anyone point me towards documents on maintaining confidentiality while conducting case reports? I feel certain it can be done in vet med, since it can be done in human med.

I am talking about cases like those in blogs like this:

http://ayradyss.livejournal.com/

I know the details have to be kept confidential, and I know names are changed, but what exactly is the legality? Obviously vets write up cases for journals and for magazines (such as DVM 360) even in the light hearted articles without asking for permission directly from owners. I am just curious about what can and can't be done in documenting one's work.

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i'm not sure about confidentiality and stuff....but i know that one of our technicians has a blog and talks about everything that happens at the vet hospital. The doctors know about it and even tell her about cases they've had in the past that are hilarious that she should talk about.

anyway, my point was that the doctors know about it and don't have a problem with it.

I was wondering....what could be the harm if names are changed and stuff?
 
I'm extremely careful in my blog... I change names, sex, even species sometimes (if it still makes sense- obviously I wouldn't write about a dog with an LDA or something). I conglomerate cases so that it's not one, but several animals that I'm referring to. In general, I tend to avoid writing about patients period. Since I blog under my real name, I have to be doubly careful about it.
 
For published case reports, just don't identify the client or patient by name, same as with case reports in human medicine.
 
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