The Guideline to Adapt Patient's Medical Information for Teaching Materials, Proposed by the Teaching Material Development Committee of Japan Society for Medical Education

Abstract

1) The 14th Teaching Material Development Committee of Japanese Medical Education Association has made the guideline so that patient's medical information can be adapted for the medical teaching purposes, putting emphasis on the limited use of personal information, the construction of mutual trust with the patient, and informed consent.
2) The guideline says it is possible to use patient information for the medical teaching material, if patient's medical information is made anonymous in such a way that the individual patient cannot be easily identified. The condition of anonymity is determined depending on the media and range of the teaching material usage. The level of making anonymity is severely judged if the teaching material is open on the Internet.
3) The teaching hospital should inform to patients that patient's medical information may be used for an educational purpose under the above mentioned policy, and thus obtain comprehensive informed consent. Individual informed consent is necessary when the teaching material contains patient private information. The use of the teaching material should be limited within public acceptations. Right or wrong of use to the teaching material is judged based on the above-mentioned policy as well as the construction of mutual trust with the patient.