In January 1999 a new patient education TV channel guide will be available. This will reflect the schedule beginning Jan. 14.

The two free channels are Channel 23 (Adult/Main Hospital) and Channel 24 (Children's Hospital). The adult series is not broadcast in the Children's Hospital, but the series for the Children's Hospital is broadcast to the Adult/Main Hospital. The two channels are on daily (including weekends) from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Each room has been provided with a blue Patient Education TV Guide. The guide has been arranged by topics such as “You and Your Heart,” “You and Diabetes” and “You and Your Brain.”

Under these topics are videos related to this theme including the length of the film, the channel it is on and the time in which it shows. Most videos are from 10 to 30 minutes long. After the schedule there is a section with a three- or four-sentence description of the films. These videos are designed to be watched by both patients and families. Staff personnel are also encouraged to be familiar with these films so they can answer patient questions.

Topics have been selected based on South Carolina health statistics. Since South Carolina leads the nation in end-stage renal disease, brain attacks (formerly known as strokes) and prostate cancer, there are sections on each of these topics. Diabetes is also featured, as South Carolina is second in the nation in this disease. Because pregnancy is among the most common diagnosis at the medical center, a section has been added on “You and Childbirth.”

The heart videos are on Channel 23 from 10:15 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. daily, and the diabetic series is on Channel 23 from 2:45 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. daily.

The series on “You and Your Kidney” is on Channel 24 from 2:15 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. every day.

Usually, a second copy of the video is maintained in the clinical and patient education office, rooms 741 and 742 of the North Tower. If the patient is off the unit for tests when a particular film is on, the nurse can borrow a copy of the film and show it at another time on the unit's videocassette player.

The schedule is the same every day so a patient can also view the film the following day. The nurse or doctor can recommend certain films for the patient to watch relating to their diagnosis or the patient may decide to watch films of interest. Patients and staff are encouraged to fill out one-page evaluations with questions, comments or requests for further information.

Patients and staff can submit suggestions for new videos by sending the information (name of video, length, where from, funding source and short description) to Margaret Duffy, Ed.D, R.N., clinical educator, room 742 North Tower or duffymm@musc.edu.