Videotaped patient medication instruction program using closed-circuit television

A program is described in which hospital patients receive videotaped medication instruction that is reinforced by printed information. In a 940-bed hospital, the pharmacy department developed a series of videotapes for closed-circuit television. Each tape covers a medication or drug class and includes use of the drug, precautions, administration instructions, and adverse effects. Pharmacists developed the basic test, and the patient education department revised the language to meet the needs of patients. Pharmacists presented the information on the tapes, which were produced by the hospital's video production department. File cards that paraphrased the script were designed to give patients written information to take home. Each tape is shown once daily. The tape includes the pharmacy phone number and encourages patients to call the pharmacy to obtain a card. A pharmacist delivers the cards and reviews the information. In this program, information can be presented to a large number of patients with minimal use of pharmacists' time.