I think it depends on how I feel about my relationship to the patient. If I think the patient is someone I trust and is taping so that they can remember instructions, or an explanation of a surgery, I generally have no problem.

There are some exceptions, though. If the patient was alleging someone had done them an injury and was fishing for statements from me to use at some future time as evidence, then I would object and possibly refer the patient elsewhere. There are appropriate forums for this kind of conveyance of information, especially when litigation is expected, and the encounter of an office visit is not the best choice. If the patient wants an affadavit or deposition, that ought to take place after the clinical encounter is concluded and once I have had the opportunity to consider all the information I have obtained. If the patient doesn’t like that approach, they can always go elsewhere.

I also think that taping is highly inappropriate in any environment where privacy of other patients can be compromised; that means ERs, OR waiting areas, office waiting rooms, ICU waiting areas and any open evaluation and treatment areas where other patients are being seen or can be overheard at the same time.

Not very often, in my practice. I had a patient tape me once without saying that was what he was doing. I discovered that at the end of the visit. I let it slide. As it happened, he was under a considerable amount of undeserved and probably stressful public criticism, and I think this was a form of defensiveness. Everything worked out OK and as it turned out, he was easy to deal with.