Informed Consent Practices for Publication of Patient Images in Dermatology Journals

Informed Consent Practices for Publication of Patient Images in Dermatology Journals
Toluwani Taiwo, Bianca Obiakor, Sarah McClung, Kanade Shinkai
JMIR Dermatology, 18 April 2025
Introduction
Clinical images play an important role in informing clinical care and education in dermatology. Standardized informed consent for publishing patient images is an important concern regarding patient privacy, especially given increasing avenues for dissemination (eg. online publication and social media). Protecting patient privacy is a critical aim for dermatologists, as publishing images with potentially identifiable features is often necessary. Establishing trust between dermatologists and patients is imperative when complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed. Clear guidelines and thorough consent practices can ensure that authors are accountable for upholding patients’ privacy and are transparent when obtaining photo consent, thereby empowering patients to make informed decisions about sharing their images. This study assesses current informed consent practices in image publication for top dermatology journals, examining author-facing guidelines and patient consent forms.