Closed-circuit TV: an effective patient education tool

Patient education is well accepted to be an integral component of professional nursing practice. Although most nurses value patient teaching, the reality of the nursing shortage demands that innovative strategies be utilized to plan, implement and evaluate in-hospital patient education programs. Advances in computer technology have made closed-circuit television (CCTV) an attractive option for hospitals to fulfil their patient education mandate. As a delivery system, CCTV can be of considerable value. But as is true of other instructional media used to supplement educational efforts, CCTV also provides many traps that can limit its effectiveness. The biggest danger is the misuse of the tool by attempting to replace rather than supplement human interaction during the education process. This paper provides practical suggestions for the creative use of CCTV as a teaching tool to enhance patient education efforts. Pitfalls inherent in planning and implementing a CCTV system will be discussed.