What is it called when a patient's photo is made public without permission?

The scenario described involves the unauthorized sharing of a patient's photo, which clearly falls under the concept of invasion of privacy. Invasion of privacy occurs when an individual's personal information, including their likeness, is disclosed without consent, leading to a breach of their right to control personal information. Patients have a legitimate expectation that their medical information and associated images will be kept confidential and only used with their permission.

In the context of healthcare, protecting patient privacy is paramount, especially as it relates to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations, which mandate strict privacy protections regarding patient information. Publicly sharing a patient’s photo without permission not only violates ethical standards set by the medical profession but can also lead to legal ramifications for healthcare providers.

While the other terms like defamation, fraud, and slander relate to damaging a person’s reputation or misleading others, they do not specifically address the unauthorized use or disclosure of a person's image in the same direct manner as invasion of privacy does. Therefore, the action of making a patient's photo public without their consent is most accurately described as an invasion of privacy.