Family filmed patient (I think) with staff - should I have spoken up?

[IreneTouTheou]

I dropped by a patient's room on a quick errand and a physical therapist (or occupational therapist) was working with the patient. Some of the patient's family were present, and the mood seemed upbeat. I saw one family member with their cellphone held up, and I thought, "They're filming or taking pictures! What should I do?" One of the family members said out loud that they were ("So-and-so is filming (our loved one) getting up/walking(or something similar)"). I know (at least I'm 99.9% sure) that filming and taking photos in the facility is against policy, but I'm such a whimp, and I didn't speak up. Later, outside the room, I told the therapist that they were probably in the photo/film, because I wanted them to be able to say or do anything they felt they needed to. The therapist wasn't at all bothered by it. I guess I'm glad I said something. But was it my place to tell the family to stop? It seemed like they were filming because they were pleased with their loved one's progress. Any input, thank you. 

[mtmkjr, BSN]

Usually there are no policies against visitors photographing the patient they're visiting. 

You would want to make sure they're not filming other patients which it sounds like they were not as they were in the patient's room. 

There are usually restrictions against photographing treatments and procedures, but I don't think that would include PT/OT, those kind of sessions are often filmed by family members

As far as staff being photographed, that would be a matter of consent. It seems like the therapist in this case were fine with being part of that moment.

This all seems perfectly natural that someone would want to film their love one's progress. 

In other words nothing to worry about here.

[IreneTouTheou]

Thank you, makes good sense. 

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

My son is a PT, he encourages filming at least one session before discharge so the family/care partner has a visual guide for how to perform the recommended home PT after discharge so the filming might even have been encouraged by the provider.

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

Agree with the above posters. It's all about consent and the spirit in which the filming is taking place.

I once had an old man who was having his very first chemo and wanted to film me hanging up the bag of cisplatin so he could share it with his family in Algeria. There was nothing sinister about it and I'm confident in my practice that if by some remote chance it did become an object of some kind of complaint against me, I'd be vindicated. But I'm convinced at 100% that that wasn't the intention. 

An old man wanted to share a major event in his life with family who don't live up the road. And he had the decency to seek my consent. No problem. 

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

A friend of mine's son broke three extremities in a motorcycle crash and took a picture of his first PT and put it up on his social media where I saw the PT was a coworker.  He didn't seem to mind and in fact was smiling at the camera.  I think it would be up to the PT to speak up for themselves.  I see on instagram reels people filming their loved one's having therapy.  I guess it's a thing.