Do Patients Have a Right to Secretly Record Doctors While They're Under Anesthesia for Surgery?

My first response when I saw this story on Twitter was "Never secretly record your surgery!"

Mainly, you might hear some stuff you might not like. I mean, the doctors and the nurses, etc., are essentially on the job, and they might say some politically incorrect things, if not some things even disrespectful to the patient herself.

In any case, at Althouse, "'Patient secretly recorded doctors as they operated on her. Should she be so distressed by what she heard?'":

I don't know about that.

But it occurred to me: Why aren't we entitled to a recording of what is said around our body when we're under anesthesia? Why should you have to sneak a recording device into your ponytail? You have to be knocked out for the surgery, and all these people have access to your vulnerable body, why shouldn't you have a right to use an artificial device to do what your senses would normally do — monitor what's happening to you? Do the doctors and nurses have an interest in having a private conversation around your body? I'd say you have the greater interest in finding out what's happening to you when you're unconscious. Anyone who wants to make a recording should be able to do it openly. You wouldn't need to take any additional steps to improve the "bedside manner" of doctors and nurses...

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