Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop is supervising the production of a series of medical videos for patients diagnosed with a serious disease that he says "may change the way medicine is practiced."
The "At Time of Diagnosis" series, produced by a subsidiary of Time Life Medical, will provide information from medical experts about common medical conditions.
Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General and Senior Scholar at the Koop Institute, said the series will enhance the doctor-patient relationship.
The videos inform patients of treatment options and answer common questions about certain conditions.
The first 30 titles, covering the most frequent serious diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, coronary artery disease and prostate cancer, will be available next month in pharmacies nationwide, Koop said.
According to a company press release, "Communication between the doctor and the patient is vital, but often difficult to attain due to patient anxiety, poor understanding of the medical language and the reality of constraints on the physician's time," the release states.
Now that doctors are spending less time with patients, it is important that every minute is used efficiently, Koop said.
"We try to encourage patients to view the video at home with their family," he said.
"The need for education goes beyond the patients themselves," he said.
"Serious illness and chronic conditions have profound effects on families, as well, and they ... need the same kind of information that the patient needs in order to understand what is happening to a loved one and to talk meaningfully to doctors and other health care providers."
When doctors meet with a patient after the patient has seen the video, they can spend time talking about things that are specific to the patient's case, Koop said. This can be especially important when the patient is going to see a specialist.
"It is important to stress that the videos do not present specific medical advice," Koop said. "It is not meant to replace the advice of the patients' physician."
"Even though nothing can be a substitute for the expertise of your own doctor, no prescription is more valuable than knowledge," Koop said.
Each 30-minute video contains four sections: "Understanding the Diagnosis," "What Happens Next?," "Treatment and Management" and "Issues and Answers."
According to the press release, the videos include in-depth interviews with patients previously diagnosed with the condition and interviews with generalists, specialists, nurses, dietitians and other health care professionals responsible for treating a specific condition or disease.
With the help of animation, the videos describe how the condition develops and explains medical procedures and exams clearly.
Koop appears in the introduction and conclusion of each video and between sections in some videos.
The videos are anchored by television journalists Linda Ellerbee, Mike Schneider, Carol Martin and Boyd Matson, Koop said.
"In addition to the video," the press release states, "each patient education kit comes with a personal workbook that summarizes the information on the tape, contains a glossary of key medical terms, offers a resource guide of supporting organizations and provides a place for notes and questions."
More than 1,000 medical experts and more than 100 medical associates contributed to the content of the videos, according to the press release.
"Of the 20 physicians that contribute to each video, one serves as the director and another as the associate editor," Koop said.
"They are responsible for the accuracy of the content and for following through with updating the video."
"When something new has been discovered, or something has changed, we recall all the videos," he said.
Koop said he wishes to improve patients' understanding through the videos.
"What I want to leave as a legacy to my country is an informed populace who can take responsibility for its own health because they have the tools to do so," he said.
"Our goal is to help patients get their feet on the ground and improve outcomes by establishing a common understanding of conditions in a way that enhances dialogue with physicians and other health care professionals," Koop said.
The company that produced the videos is currently working on a 22-city publicity tour to demonstrate the videos, which have a suggested retail price of $19.95, he said.
Each video costs about $300,000 to make, Koop said.
Psychology Professor Christian Jernstedt and the Koop Institute will also be working on the research project.
"I think this is the wave of the future," Koop said. "This can change the way medicine is practiced."
"It has become increasingly difficult to fund research projects. I believe that a partnership between industry and medicine is necessary to support academic institutions," he said.
Koop said he is also working on a new series for Time Life Medical which will focus on living with a medical condition.
For example, "Living with Diabetes" and "Living with Alzheimer's Disease" will instruct patients and families on coping with chronic medical problems.
Patient Education Media, Inc. is also producing a book on prevention called, "Dr. Koop's Self-Care Advisor: The Essential Home Health Guide for You & Your Family" that will be available next year.
