Introduction To investigate student clinical placement concerns and opinions, during the initial COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and to inform educational institution support planning. Methods Between mid-June to mid-July 2020, educational institutions from 12 countries were invited to participate in an online survey designed to gain student radiographer opinion from a wide geographical spread and countries with varying levels of COVID-19 cases. Results 1277 respondents participated, of these 592 had completed clinical placements during January to June 2020. Accommodation and cohabiting risks were identified as challenging, as was isolation from family, travel to clinical placements, and to a lesser extent childcare. Students stated they had been affected by the feeling of isolation and concerns about the virus whilst on placement. Overall 35.4% of all respondents were ‘Not at all worried’ about being a radiographer, however, 64.6% expressed varying levels of concern and individual domestic or health situations significantly impacted responses (p ≤ 0.05). Year 4 students and recent graduates were significantly more likely to be ‘Not worried at all’ compared to Year 2 and 3 students (p ≤ 0.05). The need for improved communication regarding clinical placements scheduling was identified as almost 50% of students on clinical placements between January to June 2020 identified the completion of assessments as challenging. Furthermore, only 66% of respondents with COVID-19 imaging experience stated being confident with personal protective equipment (PPE) use. Conclusion Student radiographers identified key challenges which require consideration to ensure appropriate measures are in place to support their ongoing needs. Importantly PPE training is required before placement regardless of prior COVID-19 imaging experience. Implications for practice As the next academic year commences, the study findings identify important matters to be considered by education institutions with responsibility for Radiography training and as students commence clinical placements during the on-going global COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) has led to an increase in breached health records and violation of patient confidentiality. The South African constitution makes provision for human dignity and privacy, virtues which confidentiality seeks to preserve. Confidentiality thus constitutes a human right which is challenged by the use of technology.Humans, as managers of information technology, constitute the weakest link in safeguarding confidentiality. Nonetheless, it is argued that most security breaches are nonintentionally committed by well-meaning employees during routine activities.Objective: The purpose of this article is to explore the nature of and reasons for confidentiality breaches by PACS users in a South African context.Methods: A closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 115 health professionals employed in a private hospital setting, including its radiology department and a second independent radiology department. The questionnaire sought to explore the attitudes of participants towards confidentiality breeches and reasons for such behaviour.Results: Breach incidences were expressed as percentage compliance and classified according to the nature and reasons provided by Sarkar's breach classification. Cross tabulations indicated a statistical significance (p < 0.00) between the expected and observed confidentiality practices of participants and also the adequacy of training, system knowledge and policy awareness. Conclusion:Our study supports previous findings that, in the absence of guidelines, most security breaches were non-intentional acts committed due to ignorance. Of concern are incidents in which sensitive information was intentionally shared via social media.

Background. The effectiveness of password usage in data security remains an area of high scrutiny. Literature findings do not inspire confidence in the use of passwords. Human factors such as the acceptance of and compliance with minimum standards of data security are considered significant determinants of effective data-security practices. However, human and technical factors alone do not provide solutions if they exclude the context in which the technology is applied. Objectives. To reflect on the outcome of a dissertation which argues that the minimum standards of effective password use prescribed by the information security sector are not suitable to the emergency-driven medical environment, and that their application as required by law raises new and unforeseen ethical dilemmas.Method. A close-ended questionnaire, the Picture Archiving and Communication System Confidentiality Scale (PAC-CS) was used to collect quantitative data from 115 health professionals employed in both a private radiology and a hospital setting. The PACS-CS sought to explore the extent of compliance with accepted minimum standards of effective password usage. Results. The percentage compliance with minimum standards was calculated. A significant statistical difference (p<0.05) between the expected and observed data-security practices was recorded. Conclusion. The study interrogates the suitability of adherence to minimum standards of effective password usage in an emergency-driven medical environment and calls for much-needed debate in this area.S Afr J Bioethics Law 2017;10(2):62-66.

a b s t r a c tBackground: The Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) has led to an increase in breached health records and violation of patient confidentiality. The South African constitution makes provision for human dignity and privacy, virtues which confidentiality seeks to preserve. Confidentiality thus constitutes a human right which is challenged by the use of technology.Humans, as managers of information technology, constitute the weakest link in safeguarding confidentiality. Nonetheless, it is argued that most security breaches are nonintentionally committed by well-meaning employees during routine activities.Objective: The purpose of this article is to explore the nature of and reasons for confidentiality breaches by PACS users in a South African context.Methods: A closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 115 health professionals employed in a private hospital setting, including its radiology department and a second independent radiology department. The questionnaire sought to explore the attitudes of participants towards confidentiality breeches and reasons for such behaviour.Results: Breach incidences were expressed as percentage compliance and classified according to the nature and reasons provided by Sarkar's breach classification. Cross tabulations indicated a statistical significance (p < 0.00) between the expected and observed confidentiality practices of participants and also the adequacy of training, system knowledge and policy awareness. Conclusion:Our study supports previous findings that, in the absence of guidelines, most security breaches were non-intentional acts committed due to ignorance. Of concern are incidents in which sensitive information was intentionally shared via social media.© , 2004). According to the literature, the use of information technology (IT) introduces new risks of compromising confidential data to an extent not possible with paper records (Griffith, 2015). In the past, the breach of confidentiality involved access to paper and film records, which were often stored in a central location making it difficult to compromise the principles of confidentiality. Despite this benefit, the paper system imposed disadvantages that became an impediment to the continuity of patient care because the records could be easily misplaced and thus difficult to retrieve resulting in delayed medical treatment (Beach & Oates, 2014). To address this limitation, advances in IT led to the development of a digital storage modality for radiology data (radiographs and reports) known as PACS.h e a l t h s a g e s o n d h e i d 2 1 ( 2 0 1 6 ) 2 7 1 e2 7Although PACS is inherently a radiology archiving system, it can be used in various other sections within a hospital. PACS allows for the remote and instant access to radiology data by a multidisciplinary complement of HPs who are based in different locations within a hospital setting, and thus data of the same patient may be accessed simultaneously by different HPs (Bolan, 2013). PACS has contributed to i...