Implementation of Body Worn Camera: Practical and Ethical Considerations

Body-worn cameras are increasingly being used as a violence prevention tool in inpatient mental health wards. However, there remains a limited understanding of this technology from an implementation perspective, such as protocols and best practice guidance if cameras are to be used in these settings. This study explores the perspectives of patients, mental health staff, and senior management to understand the practical and ethical issues related to the implementation of body-worn cameras. Semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i> = 64) with 24 patients, 25 staff from acute wards, six Mental Health Nursing Directors, and 9 community-based patients were conducted. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Ethical approval was granted by the Health Research Authority. Findings from this study show that the implementation of BWC in healthcare settings requires careful consideration. The perspectives of patients and staff demonstrate the complex reality of implementation alongside the consideration of practical and ethical issues around implementation that are essential to ensures that wards recognise the need to assess their capacity to use the cameras in a way that is fair and consistent for all involved. The findings further highlight wider questions around power and autonomy in mental health care.

随身佩戴摄像头（Body-worn cameras, BWC）正日益被用作精神科住院病房的暴力预防工具。然而，从落地实施的视角来看，学界对该技术的认知仍较为有限，例如此类场景下摄像头部署所需遵循的操作规范与最佳实践指南。本研究通过调研患者、精神卫生医护人员及高级管理人员的视角，旨在厘清随身佩戴摄像头落地实施过程中涉及的实践与伦理议题。本研究采用半结构化访谈法（样本量n=64），访谈对象包括24名住院患者、25名急性病房医护人员、6名精神卫生护理主管以及9名社区患者。研究采用反思性主题分析法对访谈资料进行编码分析。本研究已获得健康研究委员会（Health Research Authority）的伦理批准。本研究结果显示，在医疗场景中部署随身佩戴摄像头需经过审慎考量。患者与医护人员的视角揭示了落地实施的复杂现实，同时凸显了围绕部署工作的实践与伦理议题的重要性——唯有充分考量此类议题，病房方能意识到需评估自身的摄像头使用能力，以确保对所有相关方均做到公平且统一。研究结果还进一步凸显了精神卫生照护领域中围绕权力与自主权的诸多深层议题。