EVALUATION OF PATIENT COMFORT DURING A VIDEOTAPED OFFICE VISIT

Videotaping patient-resident interactions was evaluated by assessing the level of patient comfort and perceptions about resident and patient behaviors during videotaped office visits. It was thought that videotaping may have a negative effect on patients who receive health care services delivered by resident physicians in a training program. During a 4-month time period questionnaires were given to all patients videotaped in the ambulatory family practice clinic. Information from patient surveys completed by 55 patients is included in this study. Responses indicated 48 (87%) of the patients were comfortable or very comfortable during the videotaped office visit. Thirty-seven patients who had seen their doctors during previous visits felt that physician behavior was no different than during earlier office visits. One firsttime patient reported that her behavior was different in that she was slightly nervous. These results indicate that videotaping office visits does not seem to decrease comfort level of patients or change patient or doctor behavior. © 1990.