Neurosurgery Grand Rounds Goes Public

Kay Pilcher, editor, Windows on Computing

[Photo: Dr. H. Richard Winn at the Grand Rounds podium.]
Dr. H. Richard Winn acts as emcee.

It began with an idea, a suggestion really. Specialists and residents in neurosurgery, neurology, and neuropathology from the University of Washington and elsewhere were already presenting their latest research and case studies weekly at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Why not tape some of these sessions and air them on UWTV? Physicians throughout the state, as well as a wider public viewing audience, could benefit.

Dr. H. Richard Winn, professor and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, was the mobilizing force behind the idea. Filming the Neurosurgery Grand Rounds and Neuropathology Conferences began in summer 1998 with support from Harborview Medical Center (HMC), Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC), the Department of Neurological Surgery, and UW Physicians, and with Winn as host.

Education Is Motivating Factor

"For many years, neurosurgeons and neurologists in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) region had suggested that we videotape our conferences," recalls Winn. In doing so, "we've had an excellent response--from physicians and, to some degree, from patients."

[Photo:
Someone from the audiences asks a question.]
Questions from the audience are an important part of Grand Rounds.

The Wednesday morning Neurosurgery Grand Rounds involves a presentation in the HMC auditorium attended by physicians and residents from HMC, UWMC, and Children's, as well as doctors in private practice. It is followed by the Neuropathology Conference, where residents present a patient case and radiologists and pathologists discuss it.

"We have given the physicians continuing medical education on a whole range of issues from movement disorder, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and brain cancer, to pediatric neurosurgery," says Winn. "In addition, we inform the physicians and the public about the research activity and technology advancement that is ongoing within the university."

Attention to Detail for TV

"The amount of organization needed for filming is a level higher than just having the usual Grand Rounds," says Al Ross, producer for C&C's video and TV technologies, who has nothing but praise for the "very talented and smart" physicians he hears each month during the taping.

All the equipment that would be found in a television studio is brought out on location. The crew does part of the setup the day before and then arrives back the next morning at 5:00 A.M. to finalize things for the 7:00 A.M. Grand Rounds and the 8:00 A.M. Conference.

[Photo: One camera setup with audience, speaker, and projected
slide shown.]
This is one of three camera setups used to film the speakers and audience for UWTV.

Eight people are needed to film these two events. The floor director helps get the doctors in the right position, with their microphones on, and looking at the right camera. The director, Jerry Wade, tells the three camera operators to get different shots and decides which view to use. An audio engineer operates the microphones and mixes the sound, a technical director alternates between the different camera shots on the video switcher, and another engineer makes certain everything is running.

Final editing--to insert the projected slide images, trim back any dead time, and add speaker name keys and credits--takes place later at the UW video production studio.

"We want the graphics of the brain and the other images to look as good as possible for the television viewers," says Ross, who works with Wade on the studio post-edit. "After we've filmed a session, we know exactly where the speaker will point on a slide, so we can zoom in on it in the studio using the original slide."

The home audience is not just watching a talking head. Using multiple cameras keeps the TV version lively by repeatedly shifting the viewer's attention from speaker to audience to overhead slide.

[Photo: Dr. John Miller identified on the TV.]
Speakers are identified for TV viewers.

"Television these days has a quick pace about it," explains Ross. "People change channels if a program moves too slowly."

Research and Patient Care

"I spoke with two physicians who would never have the time to come to Seattle on a Wednesday morning, but who watch the program in Spokane where it is aired mid-week during prime time," says Ross. "And we get questions from viewers that may have a loved one who is going through something similar."

Once a Neurosurgery Grand Rounds master tape is made, the program is scheduled for repeated showings on UWTV--channel 27 in Seattle, 16 in Spokane, and 18 in Wenatchee--and is also aired in Northern California and Hawaii. A limited number of videotape copies are made for the department.

"For each program we try to focus not only on patient care, but also on research activity," says Winn. "We are planning future shows on such new research endeavors."

Visit the Department of Neurological Surgery's Web page at www.neurosurgery. washington.edu/ for information on upcoming Grand Rounds. See www.washington.edu/uwtv/neuro/grandrnd/ for dates and times of the Grand Rounds series on UWTV.

University of Washington Computing & Communications
Windows on Computing, No. 23, Spring 1999
newsltr@cac.washington.edu