Online video sharing and patients' privacy

摘要

In 18th century London a popular form of entertainment was to tour the Bethlem asylum for a penny to look at the "lunatics." Similar forms of voyeuristic entertainment have resurfaced and are alive and well today and available free on the internet. While preparing a scientific manuscript on rabies we came across several disturbing videos posted on YouTube showing footage of patients with rabies. In one video of a child with rabies is embedded the text "CrazyShit. com" and "This shit's for you!" Some of the accompanying comments, posted by viewers, are equally distressing: "Funniest shit i seen all week"; "He's screaming at a glass of water. IT'S FUNNY!!!"; "Fuck the family and fuck u! u tree huggin hippie. Don't click on the video if u think its wrong." These comments are clearly extremely distasteful and show no respect for the patient or his family. We see no purpose in these videos being made available to this audience in this form.