Educational Media Reviews Online

The Time Life Medical at Time of Diagnosis Series is a set of videos on 30 different medical conditions produced for the purpose of educating patients and their families. Each video features experts from universities, medical centers and organizations from across the United States. People who have suffered or who were suffering from the condition when the video was made also appear and discuss their personal experiences related to the medical condition.

The titles in this series are Alcoholism, Alzheimer's Disease, Anorexia & Bulimia, Arthritis, Asthma in Children, Back Pain (Lower Back), Breast Cancer, Breast Lumps, Cataracts, Colon & Rectal Cancer, Coronary Artery Disease, Depression, Diabetes, Endometriosis, Gallstones, High Blood Pressure, Infertility, Insomnia, Menopause, Migraine & Other Headaches, Osteoporosis, Overweight & Obesity, Pregnancy, Prostate Cancer, Prostate Disorders, Skin Cancer, Stress & Anxiety, Stroke, Thyroid Disorders and Ulcers (Gastrointestinal).

C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General and Medical Director of Time Life Medical, appears several times in each video and provides introductory and concluding remarks. Award-winning journalists such as Linda Ellerbee host each video. Some hosts report from a newsroom-type desk, giving the video a distinct television news show feel, while some appear in more casual studios resembling a study or personal library.

As expected of patient education videos, a disclaimer is presented at the beginning, warning the viewer that the information presented is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical treatment.

Four segments comprise each video. The first segment, "Understanding the Diagnosis", explains how the condition is diagnosed and uses animated computer graphics to illustrate how the condition may be affecting the body. In "What Happens Next?", experts explain how the condition may change and affect the patient's daily life. The "Treatment & Management" section presents treatment and management options, and frequently asked questions about the condition are answered in the final segment, "Issues & Answers." This final segment also features a brief interview between the host(s) and an expert on the condition.

The technical quality of the videos in this series is excellent. Both the images and audio are clear. Background music plays intermittently throughout each video and in between each segment, and is pleasant and unobtrusive. Each video comes in a cardboard video container with a Velcro gatefold cover. Inside the cover is a pocket with a booklet containing highlights of each video, a glossary of terms, a resource guide and space to begin writing one's personal medical journal.

The Time Life Medical at Time of Diagnosis Series would be an excellent addition to the audiovisual collections of health sciences libraries and libraries serving the general public.