How Do I Film Patients and Clinicians Respectfully?

The Shoot · Reviewed by Matt Smolen · Last reviewed 11 November 2026

Let the person who already knows the patient or family make the first approach, get head office's yes before anyone contacts them, and treat the family's decision as final. Be honest about what the day involves, pace it around the person's energy, and film real moments, such as an appointment that's already booked, instead of staging them. Plan the story around the experience of care from the brief, because in Australia an ad for a regulated health service can't use a patient's comments about their treatment or outcome.

Key Facts

The clinician or staff member who knows the family makes the first approach. The production company follows once the family is comfortable.
Head office approves each story from a name and a short summary before anyone contacts the family.
Being neurodivergent or "complicated" is never a reason to screen someone out. Whether to take part is the family's call.
Ahpra says that cutting the clinical comments out of an interview afterwards distorts it, so a story for advertising is briefed and filmed around the experience of care from the start.

The instinct on a healthcare shoot is to get through it efficiently: book the patient, film the interview, get the crew out of the way. That works against you. The story is only as good as how safe the person telling it feels. That's decided long before the camera comes out.

Let the Right Person Ask

A stranger from a production company is the wrong person to approach a patient or a family. The clinician or staff member who already knows them should make the first approach, with a clear and simple ask. The production team handles logistics only once the person is comfortable.

Before anyone is approached, run the story past head office with a name and a short summary. It saves everyone from a family saying yes to a film that never gets approved. It also lets the organisation steer the mix, such as asking for a story from a region or a service it's short of.

Make the first ask smaller than the real one. "Could you send us a short email with a name and a line about the story?" gets answered. "Can you find us a patient for a film?" sits in an inbox.

Nobody Is Pushed

Families who are shy or unsure are left alone. Someone who hesitates at first can turn out to be a wonderful story, but only if they come round on their own. Being neurodivergent or "complicated" is never a reason to screen someone out. It makes no difference to the production, and whether to take part is the family's call, never a production convenience.

Be Honest About the Day

Tell the family exactly what's involved: how long, how many crew, where the film will run and for how long. Offer to start somewhere familiar, with the person they're most comfortable with. Then pace the day around them. Build in breaks, spread the filming out rather than running one long block, and set the timings around the family rather than the crew.

A small thank-you helps, chosen for the person and asked about ahead of time. So does sending them the finished film.

Film What's Already Happening

Staged scenes look staged. Where you can, film something already in the diary, such as a check-up booked for the same day, in the real room, with the real conversation. It's more honest, and it saves the person an extra trip.

Interview Clinicians Separately

Clinicians are busy and rarely think their own stories are interesting. Interview them on their own, about what they noticed and how they looked after the person. Filming them separately from the patient lets each talk about the relationship without performing for the other.

Plan for the Rules From the Brief

In Australia, section 133 of the National Law means an ad for a regulated health service can't use testimonials, and Ahpra counts a patient's positive comments about their symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, outcome or a practitioner's skill as testimonials. How someone was treated, welcomed and spoken to isn't. Ahpra also says that trimming the clinical lines out of an interview afterwards distorts it, so the story has to be about the experience of care from the first conversation. Say what the film isn't about, such as the product or the clinical result, to protect what it is about. Your compliance or legal team should sign it off before anything runs. This is our reading of Ahpra's published guidance, not legal advice.

The takeaway: let the relationship make the approach, let the family decide, and brief the story around care from day one. A shoot planned that way is calmer for everyone, and the film is better for it.

Go Deeper

Sources

How do I find a patient who'll be good on camera?

Ask the people who see patients every day, and keep the ask small, such as a short email with a name and a line about the story. Comfort on camera matters more than polish, and an everyday story often works better than a dramatic one.

Should we pay patients or families to take part in a video?

A fee can make the relationship feel odd. Be clear up front that there's no payment, then be generous with a thank-you gift, a day planned around their diary and a copy of the finished film.

Can clinicians appear in the same film as the patient?

Yes, and it often makes a better film. We usually interview them separately, so each can talk about the care between them in their own words, and the clinician never has to perform alongside the patient.