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    bagoflettersAnna Merlan
    4/21/16 4:56pm

    Doesn’t having the film crew there as it happens violate patient consent laws in general? Like they aren’t always aware someone is filming them, or that there are more people than who are medically required to be there watching it happen. All of that seems super illegal honestly. Just from all the privacy laws surrounding patients.

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      mazzieDbagofletters
      4/21/16 5:01pm

      I was thinking that wouldn’t having a film crew in a medical facility take up space and decrease the level of care, in addition to the legal nightmare? I don’t know who thought this was a good idea.

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      meowshittybrowncowbagofletters
      4/21/16 5:10pm

      but it’s tv so it’s fine (not). i was almost on WIPEOUT and i had to sign a 50 page document saying that if i died it wasn’t their fault, and i’m like HOW IS THIS LEGAL?!

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    JujyMonkey: Clever tagline goes hereAnna Merlan
    4/21/16 4:58pm

    Wow, that is horrible. I’m not a huge fan of reality TV but, while I get the trashy appeal of a Real Housewife flip a restaurant table, why on earth would I want to witness a stranger’s last moments as he dies in pain?

    Maybe I'm just more aware of my own mortality, but perhaps we collectively take a step back and take a moment to think?

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      PitzerGrimmaceJujyMonkey: Clever tagline goes here
      4/21/16 5:07pm

      I will say that I have always found watching medical procedures extremely fascinating. NY ER is a show i watched regularly. And I watch not for the sensationalism, but what it is that they do, i am in awe. How it all is such a interpretive and improvisational dance between doctors, Nurses, admin, etc. But I always thought that they had permission. Working in TV I know that it is the only way. You have to get permission to put peoples lives on the screen. That they skirted this, in peoples most vulnerable of hours for my sake makes me feel like shit.

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      ZabellaJujyMonkey: Clever tagline goes here
      4/21/16 5:09pm

      I only speak for myself, but I watch shows like this because I’m interested in medicine and how hospitals work. I don’t watch these shows hoping to see someone die, and because I don’t want to fall into a rage spiral, I’m going to assume a majority of people watching the show aren’t hoping to see a death.

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    ItshardbeingagirlAnna Merlan
    4/21/16 4:57pm

    Jesus...can you imagine being that woman? That would be quite a mix of grief and rage.

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      sockerkakaItshardbeingagirl
      4/21/16 5:39pm

      No, I can’t imagine. It’s beyond the scope of my imagination. To have that scene played over and over in your head, knowing you weren’t there and couldn’t do anything about it must be torturous.

      They’ve messed up something fierce, and they should absofuckinglutely pay damages to the family.

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      PrettyPrettyBunniPrincessItshardbeingagirl
      4/21/16 5:45pm

      No kidding. I few weeks ago I posted on a Jez article....I can’t remember the subject but I basically said that I crossed on the part on medical forms where they ask you to consent to the use of your photos etc made ‘unidentifiable’ explaining that my definition of unidentifiable was different than doctors. And many altered photos are easily identifiable by close friends and family

      someone responded to me stating that she worked in a hospital and -of course- you family could identify you and that’s not what ‘unidentifiable’ meant.

      What? Of course people that don’t know you can’t identify you! Even if there is a full in picture of your face.

      Of course this woman recognized her husband even though his face was blurred and voice altered. Did they seriously not think that someone's family might watch an episode with their relative in it????

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    Gwyneth P. is a reincarnated chicken nuggetAnna Merlan
    4/21/16 4:51pm

    Good.

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      hntergrenGwyneth P. is a reincarnated chicken nugget
      4/21/16 4:55pm

      Agreed, it’s completely exploitative, and the practice of effectively breaching doctor patient confidentiality and ignoring patient privacy then getting releases after the fact is a bad one.

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      GinAndTonic Got Stuck in the Barneyhntergren
      4/21/16 5:08pm

      And they didn’t bother, apparently, if the person died.

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    DeeeeznutzAnna Merlan
    4/21/16 5:00pm

    So they’re admitting fault in paying the $2.2mil fine to the government...what are they paying to the families that had their loved ones private medical care shown on TV without permission? The fine should go to the family, not the government, as they were the ones affected by this.

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      iseedeaddaleksDeeeeznutz
      4/21/16 5:07pm

      A-fucking-men. The families are the ones being irreparably damaged by this. I can’t even imagine what that woman went though.

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      Oh Donnaaaaaaa! Donna Strunk!!!Deeeeznutz
      4/21/16 5:27pm

      The families are suing but the fines the hospital has to pay to the government are specifically for violations of the law. This judgement should help the families in their lawsuits quite a bit, though.

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    MelUK (aka kayakgrrl)Anna Merlan
    4/21/16 6:26pm

    Frankly, I’m surprised that these ER shows can still exist under HIPPA. It’s just nuts to have to put filming consent into consideration when trying to save someone’s life. In fact, I would venture it would be unethical to even put patients and their families in this situation, as they may feel pressured to consent or risk not receiving the doctors’ full attention (as the film crew could imply that more attention would be given to filmable patients). Outpatient treatment (like plastic surgery) allows for every one to have enough time to consider and give full consent. Heck, this situation demonstrates that the hospital is willing to put a TV show’s demand for interesting cases well above patient privacy.

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      TzaMelUK (aka kayakgrrl)
      4/21/16 7:27pm

      Seriously, tho, what is wrong with dramatizations? There’s an ER show I watch that is real stories from the ER replayed by actors. And it’s still pretty impressive. Like the bride whose whole family insisted she just had cold feet and she wasn’t really sick and it turned out there were parasites in her neck from her tropical bridal shower. Or the idiot teenager who got his finger caught in a gun-cleaner.

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      MelUK (aka kayakgrrl)Tza
      4/21/16 9:32pm

      There’s a few documentary-like hospital shows in the UK, but they usually just focus on a few patients, not everyone who comes in. I’m thinking of one on the BBC that included interviews with the patient and/or family members after the fact (including if the patient died). So it can be done with the full participation of all, but does mean that the cameras must go off if there’s no consent, no matter how dramatic the situation is.

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    AgainoncemoreAnna Merlan
    4/21/16 6:42pm

    I don’t watch these shows, but it’s pretty hypocritical to sue when you chance upon footage of your husband’s death because you were watching the show. So when it’s anyone else’s suffering, it’s entertainment, but when it’s your husband, suddenly it’s horrific.

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      tyzAgainoncemore
      4/21/16 8:58pm

      It sounds like a lot of people on this thread say they watch these shows because they are fascinated with medicine and how hospitals work, not because they want to see someone suffering. And I think most people assume, with privacy laws being what they are, that full consent would have been granted to air the footage and anyone in it. So I don’t think it’s hypocritical to be enraged to find that privacy and consent went out the window when you’re husband was dying.

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      Againoncemoretyz
      4/22/16 1:14pm

      I’d like to believe that people are that innocent, but I’ve worked in an ER for years and one thing I’ve learned is that people have a morbid curiosity and some deep dark part of us gets a thrill by watching others suffer. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to shoo looky-loos away from coding patient’s rooms or the trauma bay. I’m talking about staff that doesn’t belong there, volunteers AND visitors that are with other patients. It’s the same reason that car crash and other gruesome videos go viral.

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    foxGreyjoy and the salty cynicAnna Merlan
    4/21/16 5:02pm

    That is so sad and devastating. I’ve never watched these shows or thought of them - considering the content it is nothing more than exploitation of suffering and death.

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      BoSephusfoxGreyjoy and the salty cynic
      4/21/16 7:03pm

      I happened on one of these years ago and watched for about five minutes and turned the station in horror. I like the medically mystery ones told after the fact with interviews but this is just raw garbage.

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    deerlady83Anna Merlan
    4/21/16 5:07pm

    That’s horrible the victims’ families had to find out on the show their relatives were filmed. They never had the chance to decide if they wanted to share or not.

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      kickinthedoorAnna Merlan
      4/21/16 4:57pm

      Wait, what? This was actually a show for 2 seasons?

      As a person who doesn’t watch reality TV, I’m pretty shocked that this was an attempt at a show. Why not just have a reality show at a funeral home showing all the mourning families?

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        Zabellakickinthedoor
        4/21/16 5:11pm

        Of course there’s a reality show about a funeral home. However, I’ve never seen it so I don’t know if they show grieving families. My guess is they focus on the embalming and tricks used to make the dead look presentable, or the daily routine of the staff, rather than the suffering of the next of kin.

        http://www.imdb.com/title/tt040739...

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