Is perception of quality more important than technical quality in patient video cases?
BACKGROUND
The use of video cases to demonstrate key signs and symptoms in patients (patient video cases or PVCs) is a rapidly expanding field. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether the technical quality, or judgement of quality, of a video clip influences a paediatrician's judgment on acuity of the case and assess the relationship between perception of quality and the technical quality of a selection of video clips.


METHODS
Participants (12 senior consultant paediatricians attending an examination workshop) individually categorised 28 PVCs into one of 3 possible acuities and then described the quality of the image seen. The PVCs had been converted into four different technical qualities (differing bit rates ranging from excellent to low quality).


RESULTS
Participants' assessment of quality and the actual industry standard of the PVC were independent (333 distinct observations, spearmans rho = 0.0410, p = 0.4564). Agreement between actual acuity and participants' judgement was generally good at higher acuities but moderate at medium/low acuities of illness (overall correlation 0.664). Perception of the quality of the clip was related to correct assignment of acuity regardless of the technical quality of the clip (number of obs = 330, z = 2.07, p = 0.038).


CONCLUSIONS
It is important to benchmark PVCs prior to use in learning resources as experts may not agree on the information within, or quality of, the clip. It appears, although PVCs may be beneficial in a pedagogical context, the perception of quality of clip may be an important determinant of an expert's decision making.
Department of Health Sciences, SAPPHIRE Group, University of Leicester, 22-28 Princess Road West, Leicester, LE1 6TP, UK. dr98@le.ac.uk.|Paediatric Emergency Medicine Leicester Academic Group, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, LE1 5WW, UK. dr98@le.ac.uk.
Damian
D
Roland
Carnegie Faculty, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, LS1 3HE, UK. djmatheson@icloud.com.
David
D
Matheson
Department of Health Sciences, SAPPHIRE Group, University of Leicester, 22-28 Princess Road West, Leicester, LE1 6TP, UK. nat2@leicester.ac.uk.
Nick
N
Taub
Emergency Medicine Academic Group. Cardiovascular Sciences, Leicester University, Leicester, LE3 9QP, UK. tc61@leicester.ac.uk.
Tim
T
Coats
Emergency Medicine Academic Group. Cardiovascular Sciences, Leicester University, Leicester, LE3 9QP, UK. m.lakhanpaul@ucl.ac.uk.
Monica
M
Lakhanpaul
D003657:Decision Making; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D010465:Perception; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013672:Technology / Q000592:standards; D014743:Videotape Recording / Q000592:standards*