NPC reports viral “flatline” video recorded by nursing student

The National Data Protection Commission reminded healthcare workers to be careful when taking photos or videos in the healthcare setting after a nursing student posted a viral video about a patient with heart failure.

The government agency on Monday looked into the TikTok video posted by the content creator Juliana Villafuertea nursing student at the University of Perpetual Help-Calamba who was criticized for posting a moment of a patient losing his life.

The clip contained the text “A patient has been flattened”.

Villafuerte did not mention the patient's name or face, but captured the moment for content, saying that despite life support, the patient could not be resuscitated.

She also said that at that moment she realized how short life is.

“It's such a short time for us to worry, complain and wait for something bigger and better instead of focusing on all the little things that surround us every day. So love the people who treat you well. Forgive those who don't. And believe that everything happens for a reason,” said the nursing student.

Villafuerte then shared a clip of herself crying and admitted that she sometimes finds her job difficult.

The video sparked strong reactions from several online users who expressed concerns about the contents of the heart monitor.

“Who on earth would vlog a clip in THEIR HEAD while their patient is going into cardiac arrest?????? This is SOOOO exciting,” commented one online user.

“Since then, the video has been edited postmortem, but despite this, phones are not allowed during service, be it SN [student nurse] or RN [registered nurse] ka. With this kind of work, you can alarm ka lagi. 'Page SN, priority Mo, sa field to learn [and] not to create it as content,” wrote another user.

“What's worse is that she made the patient's death her own life lesson: Life is short, too short to worry and complain, right?? As if the family is not grieving over the patient. That's why we don't give a platform to these so-called social media influencers,” said another Pinoy.

The photo was reportedly taken on May 24, 2024, the last day of Villafuerte's clinical deployment.

She has since deleted the video from her TikTok account.

Nevertheless, it caught the attention of the National People’s Congress and reminded the public of the Data Protection Act concerning “personal and sensitive information”, including “privileged information”.

The agency stated that the video, which “contains personal information,” must comply with the Data Protection Act, its implementing rules and regulations, and other agency decrees.

The NPC also pointed out ethical implications of the content.

“If the videos do not contain details that can identify an individual, their disclosure may fall outside the scope of the DPA. [Data Privact Act]. However, the NPC is aware of the potential risks to the rights and freedoms of individuals, particularly patients,” the agency said.

“We emphasize that sharing images or videos from these settings can raise serious ethical concerns and undermine trust between patients and healthcare providers. Ethical considerations are critical to maintaining the integrity of healthcare practices and protecting patient dignity,” it added.

The NPC then urged healthcare workers to use personal devices such as mobile phones more responsibly.

“We therefore urge all medical professionals and healthcare workers, including students in training, to exercise extreme caution when taking photos or videos in healthcare facilities and to refrain from posting them on publicly accessible platforms,” ​​it said.

“We remind everyone that freedom of expression is not absolute and is limited by considerations such as the privacy rights of others,” the agency added.

Article III, Section 4 of the Code of Ethics for Filipino Nurses states: “Personal information obtained in the course of nursing care must be kept strictly confidential.”

The Villafuerte school also released a brief statement about the incident.

“We are aware of the recent incident where a Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate shared sensitive patient information on social media. We apologize for the inconvenience caused,” the University of Perpetual Help-Calamba said on August 5.

It said that “immediate action” had been taken, including removing the posts.

“Corrective measures in accordance with university policy will be taken for affected students [or] alumni,” the university added.

“Our social media and privacy policies are being reviewed and strengthened. We remain committed to the highest standards of patient privacy and professional conduct. We take this issue seriously and are conducting a thorough review to ensure this does not happen again,” it said.

Villafuerte also posted an apology on her Instagram account, admitting that her behavior was insensitive.

“This will be a lesson for me that teaches me the importance of compassion and respect in all aspects of my interactions as a future nurse,” she said on August 4.

“As a student who is still learning and growing, I realize that my actions lack the respect and sensitivity that such situations require. It was never my intention to make anyone affected by the video uncomfortable,” the content creator added.

“I understand now more than ever how important empathy is in situations like this. It was an error in judgment and a lesson I will never forget,” Villafuerte said.