Short report
Video in the teaching of psychiatry
J.A.C. Bleeker
Opportunities for psychiatrists to show their work are scarce, even more so for large audiences. The necessary demonstrations of patients in lecture rooms are a source of understandable criticism. Four years ago, in order to solve this problem, we began using video equipment: closed-circuit T.V. between consultation room and lecture hall, in the way a one-way screen can be used for small group viewing. The quality of the demonstrations greatly improved. Soon we discovered other advantages of video: interviews can be used again, reduced to relevant passages and combined to show the course of an illness. We are most impressed by the easy and natural integration of video in our training institute.
Apart from other reasons, dealt with in the article, we think that this is due to the fact that the interviewer exposes himself to be studied, experienced and inexperienced alike. Further topics discuseed are: the way patients react to video, safe guarding of personal information, technical requirements, filing of videotapes, the desirability of decentralized viewing, opportunities for small groups and the improvement of exams by video.