Image Consent Policy


Effective date: [October 2025]

The Journal of Orthopaedic Case Discussions (JOCD) is committed to protecting patient privacy and dignity. We follow international guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) on consent for publication and on preventing identification of patients in case material and images.

When consent is required

Written, informed consent for publication is required whenever a patient could be identified in any way (alone or in combination with other data), including clinical photographs, radiology, operative images, pathology slides, videos, tattoos, scars, or unique features—even if names and faces are not shown.


Anonymisation standards

Authors must remove all direct identifiers and take reasonable steps to avoid indirect identification. At a minimum, remove items listed under the HIPAA “Safe Harbor” de-identification standard (e.g., names; full-face photos; all geographic details below state level; all dates directly related to the individual except year; phone/fax numbers; email; medical record and device serial numbers; biometric identifiers; vehicle, account or ID numbers; URLs/IPs; and any other unique codes or characteristics). Remove image metadata (EXIF/DICOM) and crop or mask distinguishing marks where feasible.


What the consent must include

  • That publication is online and open access, may be copied, shared and discussed publicly, and that complete withdrawal after publication may not be possible.
  • The purpose (education and scholarly communication) and the possible reuse of images by JOCD in journal promotion, educational materials, or derivative works consistent with our Copyright & Reuse policy.

Author responsibilities

  • Confirm that appropriate consent has been obtained and is available on request by the editors. Do not upload the signed consent itself unless specifically requested.
  • Ensure images are anonymised as described; remove metadata before upload.
  • State explicitly in the submission that consent was obtained and whether any image manipulation (e.g., cropping, masking) was performed.


Support: admin@orthopaedicacademy.co.uk