Sharing cases is how the profession learns. These rules protect patients and the trust that makes that possible.
Before you share a case
- Obtain appropriate consent for sharing clinical images and information where required.
- Remove anything that could identify the patient: names, dates of birth, hospital or NHS numbers, addresses, practice details.
- Check radiographs and screenshots for labels, and crop out faces and distinguishing features unless essential and consented.
- Use age ranges, not exact ages, and relative timings (“3 months later”) rather than dates.
In discussion
- Be constructive and respectful. Disagree with approaches, not people.
- Remember that advice given here is not a substitute for examining the patient and your own clinical judgement.
- Declare commercial interests when discussing products or courses.
If something goes wrong
If you spot identifiable patient information, report it straight away — reports of confidentiality concerns are reviewed first, and the content can be taken down immediately. You can also delete your own uploads at any time.