Trauma: Life in the ER

Atheos · Jun 24, 2008

this post is mainly about questions about the discovery health channel show titled: trauma life in the er. if anybody can answer these questions, thank you. i am a huge fan and just curious about some things....
1.) how do they get by with showing names, faces and diagnosis with all the hippa buzz going around?
2.) has anybody worked at a hospital when the show was being filmed?
if anybody has any insights, i would be grateful!!
thanks brandie:yeah:

i can answer #1. they get permission from the poa. just like in reality shows. how they get permission i don't know. :)

andhow5, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

They have to have a signed release.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

The patients sign a consent form to be filmed, thats how HIPAA laws aren't being broken.

Many times while watching that show, some faces are blurred out (staff, patients, visitors). These people, for whatever the reason, didn't sign the form to allow the TV show to have their faces, dx etc on tv.

I was an EMT and bringing at pt to the Trauma hospital closest to our town. Unknown to us, one of the Health channels were filming that day. We were asked to sign a form allowing our faces etc to be shown on the program. My partner signed, the patients wife signed for her and him but I declined. I had a demented man stalking me for years who I was finally able to loose and didn't want my face being shown with my name and title under it (I had married so he didn't have my "new name").

I'm not too sure how I'd feel if I were injured and a tv crew was filming in the hospital I was taken to. Not sure if I'd give the ok to film and show my face. Hopefully, I'll never have to find out.

nursebrandie28, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

My questioning is that, some people like drunks/gun shot victims are not

necessarily painted in a good light on the show... I would be too embarrased to have that on display on national television.....

Dempather, RN · Jun 24, 2008

A close friend of mine is a medical student at Johns Hopkins. They recently created a new show called "Hopkins 24/7", which follows around the residents well... 24/7 :). He said everybody needed to sign a release to be on the show. I'm assuming the same would go with the patients. :-)

ukstudent · Jun 24, 2008

These are sometimes the same people that actively try to get on the Jerry Springer show. The fact they are on TV is more important than how other people see them. I doubt that they are embarrassed by what is shown.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

I agree with above posters. I was working ER in Oklahoma City when they were following the EMS crews around. We knew they were in town, but still were surprised when they came in with the crew. It was very intimidating! My patient was an 18 month old febrile seizure, and they filmed us getting him settled in, talking to the father, starting his IV, drawing labs, etc. They did not show me actually sticking the kid, but they showed enough that you knew what was happening. I had about 15 seconds of fame, and that was enough for me.

They did not give any staff names except the ER doc who was interviewed for about 3 minutes. We all had to either sign the releases or not. The film crew was there a long time, but the whole bit on the show was probably 4-5 minutes. It was an interesting experience. I did find that doing and saying the same things I do everyday became very difficult with a giant camera in your face.

I was glad to have the experience, but my Hollywood days are over!:chuckle

FLTraumaRN · Jun 24, 2008

Yes, I have worked at a hospital where that show was filmed. I have also worked at several other facilities where the same kind of show was filmed. We recently spent months filming for a discovery channel show that hasn't been aired yet. They film continuously. And then edit a ton. Anything that happens that they can't get consent from the patient, family, or staff...just does't make it to the show. It's very interesting how it all works out and it's hard to remember to be on your best behavior.

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

Well a few years back pre HIPAA they would get consent from specific pts i.e. ones on the show. In the ED i worked at the time it was posted all over the NYT was filming and that your presence was consent that you/likeness may appear briefly in an episode. The were filming Paramedics at that time by the way. I got my 10 seconds of fame. LOL.

I would imagine it works similar now, as more recently they were filming residents at another hospital and would consent pt/families and were more intent on capturing the docs than the pts. Though no postings.

Rj

TraumaNurseRN · Jun 24, 2008

My questioning is that, some people like drunks/gun shot victims are not
necessarily painted in a good light on the show... I would be too embarrased to have that on display on national television.....

I'm wondering how they get a consent signd by drunks/gunshot wounds or anyone on drugs.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

I've seen shows where someone's died. It appears to me that they don't get permission until after the fact. I'm not sure I'd want to see my loved one's traumatic death filmed and then shown on repeats, names and everything included.

Also, I wonder if the film crew doesn't need to get the film reviewed by the Risk Management folks before airing.

Anyhow, they're fascinating shows to me and pretty tastefully done, all things considered. I've learned a lot of things that helped me understand what goes on in the ER.

In fact, if I'd started this career young enough, I'd have loved to be a flight nurse.