Florida Medical Directors Association

Jan. 31, 2002
Contact: Ian Cordes, Executive Director
Florida Medical Directors Association
(561) 659-5581

FMDA Issues Statement Against Attorney
General AHCA Report on Electronic Surveillance
in Florida Nursing Homes

West Palm Beach, Fla. -- The joint Attorney General-Agency for Health Care Administration report released last week, recommended that video surveillance cameras be allowed in the bedrooms and bathrooms of nursing home patients. FMDA's major concerns with this include:

Privacy/Dignity: The physician and nurse practitioner members of FMDA feel strongly that video surveillance cameras undermine the privacy and dignity of nursing home patients and their doctors, nurse practitioners, caregivers and visitors. The most personal type of care is often provided at a patient’s bedside. Nurse practitioner members specifically view this as a breech of confidentiality as well as demeaning, demoralizing, and disruptive to the care of these frail, incapacitated human beings.
Staffing: The use of video surveillance cameras will have a negative impact on the facility's ability to recruit and retain staff at the very time when there is a real shortage of nurses and certified nursing assistants. The surveillance cameras will also disrupt the positive, trusting relationship between a patient and caregiver that may have the potential to interfere with their therapeutic relationship as well. Another major impact will be the downward spiral of staff morale.
Insurance: According to insurance liability carriers, video cameras will have a severely negative impact on a facility's ability to secure coverage.
Medical Directors: With medical directors already facing insurance liability coverage cancellation, non-renewal and huge premium increases, this recommendation comes at a time when we need to encourage more physician participation in long-term care. Video surveillance has the potential to create a serious shortage of physicians acting as medical directors or attending physicians.
Litigation: Approval of video surveillance in nursing homes will increase the potential for increased litigation which drives up costs. Resources that would otherwise go into patient care will have to be diverted to defend frivolous lawsuits.
Proper Use: There are many unanswered issues about resident privacy, the appropriate use of video tapes, video equipment maintenance, and the integrity of the tapes.
Interpretation: FMDA believes that the contents of tapes will be easily misinterpreted or misrepresented and used against staff, physicians and the nursing facility.
Family Involvement: Close family involvement in the day-to-day care of their loved one in the nursing home is one of the fundamental principles of good care for patients. Having video cameras may reduce family involvement and decrease patient-family interactions that are so essential to the welfare of both.

“Video surveillance cameras will do nothing but harm the relationship between patient and caregiver and they should not be allowed in patient bedrooms. Add to that the fact that they will be the tool of eager trial attorneys and you have a prescription for disaster,” said Morris Kutner, MD, CMD, immediate past-president, Florida Medical Directors Association. The Florida Medical Directors Association represents more than 350 medical directors, attending physicians, physician assistants, and advanced registered nurse practitioners in long-term care facilities in Florida. The mission of FMDA is to promote the highest quality care in nursing homes by providing leadership, professional education and advocacy.

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