General Medical Information

Video In Th Office

James A. Duncavage
John R. Coleman, Jr.

The ability to video or video print a patient’s examination in the office may become the standard of care in the near future. We have already witnessed this change in laryngology with videostroboscopy.

The use of video prints has two advantages. One is educational. A patient can be taught more by being shown a picture of herself or himself during the explanation and can refer back to the picture after leaving the office and have a visual reminder of the conversation. Moreover, if the patient is provided a written explanation of his or her condition, the picture can be used to review the written material. The second reason for the video print is documentation. The video print can be used on subsequent visits for comparison after treatment, and the print serves as a permanent record of the original problem. Video information can be stored on a computer disk for future use, which facilitates record keeping and limits storage space.