Using video-recorded consultations for research in primary care: advantages and limitations
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Video-recording primary care consultations is an established technique for primary care research. Despite the widespread use of video-recording to help answer a variety of research questions, little is known about how this recording technique influences the findings of studies in which it is employed. OBJECTIVE: This article investigates how video-recorded consultations have been used in research and discusses how this technique may influence both the internal and external validity of studies. CONCLUSION: Using video-recorded consultations for research purposes may cause bias in the characteristics of doctors and patients who agree to participate in research. There is little evidence, however, that video-recording influences the behaviour of either GPs or patients. Recommendations are made for researchers who are considering using video-recorded consultations in their research.
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Evidence indicates that awareness of being video recorded does not significantly alter the consultation process.
“Although both patient and GP were aware of the recording, there is evidence that this does not significantly affect the process of the consultation, 47 48”
From ‘Too much, too late’: mixed methods multi-channel video recording study of computerized decision support systems and GP prescribing (2013) · cites this paper as [48]
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- Authors
- Coleman, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Leicester (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Coleman, T.
- ORCID
- Coleman, T.
- Venue
- Family Practice
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2000-10-01
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 422-427
- ISSN
- 0263-2136 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2229
- OpenAlex
- W2111325617
- Cited by
- 169
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 0.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Family Practice (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Primary Care and Health Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Survey Methodology and Nonresponse
- Keywords
- video-recorded consultations, primary care research, research bias, internal validity, generalizability, general practitioners, patient behavior
- MeSH terms
- Family Practice, Health Services Research, Humans, Patients, Physicians, Family, Primary Health Care, Referral and Consultation, Research Design, Videotape Recording, Reproducibility of Results, Bias, Observation
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