Commons committee calls for federal registry of breast implants
Commons committee calls for federal registry of breast implants
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Despite the funny headline I guess there is a real issue here in that breast implants are subject to occasional manufacturing defects that can pose serious health risks to the owner. That said,
The committee report recommends the registry be implemented through a mandatory "checklist" form signed by surgeons and patients. It said that patients would be offered "the possibility of opting out."
I think making this mandatory with the option to opt out rather than the reverse maybe crosses a privacy line.
I think making this mandatory with the option to opt out rather than the reverse maybe crosses a privacy line.
Is it really that different with a medical procedure? You're signing informed consent forms regardless - it's just a matter of if it says "decline" next to the check box as opposed to "opt-in."
Because signing these documents must be accompanied by a doctor explaining things (informed consent) I don't think it's really possible for people to not realize what they are agreeing to.
Also because it is medical information it will be held to a much higher privacy standard than is typical.
For these reasons I don't really think a privacy argument makes sense and the case to reduce harm seems pretty robust.