Multimedia Primary Care Procedures: DVD, Online, and Pocket Procedures Manual [Englisch] [DVD-ROM]

Don't be fooled by the fancy included DVD. The videos are brief and show only portions of the procedure. The voice over is simply a reading of what's in the text: Very basic steps that aren't detailed enough for beginners and lack nuance that would be helpful to more advanced practitioners. There is no video review of the equipment itself or any helpful anatomy review that I would expect for a procedural reference. I got this as a free add-on to my Pfennenger's and I am VERY relieved that I didn't pay for it.

In an attempt to balance the reviews- here is an outside review from JAMA. The tutorials are designed as introductions to the procedures and to teach the key steps. They add visual memory cues to the learning process for doctors in training or reminders of the steps for those in practice who may not have done the procedure in some time. They were purposely not created to walk through every detail as most trainees lose interest after 5-7 minutes (watch them use longer videos... they skip through them or don't remember the key steps).

FROM the JAMA review:
The content of the videos is of very good quality overall, corresponding to the complexity of the procedure being demonstrated. I found most videos demonstrating minor procedures, such as excisional skin biopsy, unna boot application, and joint injections, to be thorough. Most physicians could feel comfortable performing these and many other minor procedures after watching the videos. Some videos could be more detailed, such as the wart treatment video, which discusses tips for using a cryo gun but does not give a demonstration using the tips. Other videos seem more complex than necessary, for instance, "Lipoma Excision," which shows a large lipoma that must be dissected away from the chest wall, a seemingly much more complex procedure than most primary care physicians would attempt in the office. Other procedures require more training and practice than can be achieved by simply watching a video, such as flexible sigmoidoscopy, obstetric ultrasound, cesarean section, and vaginal delivery.

Other components of the multimedia set include a DVD that can easily access all videos with a standard DVD player. A pocket handbook contains the DVD-ROM text, including "Key Steps" lists, "Instructions," "Indications/Contraindications," and "ICD-9/CPT Codes." This information can serve as a quick review. Online access to Multimedia Primary Care Procedures is available at [...] and allows the user to create an account and access the program through a standard Web browser.

The set is listed as being compatible with both Macintosh and Windows; however, the program would not launch under Mac OSX. I contacted Elsevier technical support and was told by a pleasant technician that he needed to review his copy of the DVD and would contact me by e-mail or telephone, but I had received no feedback from him after two weeks.

In conclusion, Multimedia Primary Care Procedures offers a quick and convenient method to learn or review minor office and inpatient procedures. The program design is excellent and easy to use. The scope of the video content could improve in some areas as indicated above, but overall it is an excellent resource for the primary care physician.

Michael Shelton, MD, Reviewer
Baylor College of Medicine
Kelsey-Seybold Clinics
Houston, Tex

These videos are great for reviewing the important steps to performing medical procedures. These procedures are occasionally difficult and it is absolutely necessary that they are done correctly. The range of procedures covered in this package is a bit more than I usually need, but I love having this as a reference. I have these loaded on my office computer and review them when I see that I have a procedure listed on that day's schedule. I am a visual learner, and this is the best tool I have encountered.