Sony Medical Video Technology Re-defines Training and Education at Wills Eye Institute

C A S E
Customer: Wills Eye Institute Industry: Medical Challenges: Upgrade video technologies to stay on cutting edge of medical training Find an easy-to-use solution that permits a full range of editing capabilities Work with both PC and Mac systems Solution: Implement a capture and record system using the Sony HVO-1000MD recorder and PMW-10MD HD camera Benefits: Produced high-quality video that allowed physicians to see in close detail Recorded in SD and HD, which allowed for varying technical abilities among doctors Offered flexibility for the staff to use it in day-to-day work, reviews of teaching cases, continuing medical education, and preparation for conferences Required little help from IT staff because its so easy to use

S T U D Y

Julia A. Haller, MD, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at the world-renowned Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia, knows from experience what it takes to train physicians in the latest ophthalmic surgical procedures. We have trained the most ophthalmologists in the world and now have the largest alumni network, she said. It is absolutely crucial that we have high-quality video capability, both in the operating room and for review afterward. The Institute relies heavily on video technology to complement its facultys expertise. However, its existing standarddefinition system had grown too cumbersome, didnt allow for a full range of editing capabilities, and couldnt interface smoothly with PC and Macintosh systems. With more than 100 doctors rotating through eight ORs each week, creating a manageable video recording and review workflow for each of them was the highest priority. To keep its educational capabilities at the highest level, the Wills Eye team realized it needed to upgrade its video technology, implementing a robust system that was also easy to use. The technology they chose was a video capture and recording system using the Sony HVO-1000MD recorder and the PMW-10MD HD camera. The result is a solution that has both met and exceeded their expectations.

Haller and the entire Wills Eye team are impressed with all aspects of the new systemespecially its ease of use, flexibility, and quality. We have only a small technical staff available to teach the doctors how to best use the technology, said Jack Scully, Director of Media Technology Services at Wills Eye. My staff cant be with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Sony systems ease of use allows us to teach them what they need to know, and then they can take what we have taught them and create their own processes. The HVO-1000MD is used daily to record residents surgeries. Typically doctors will simply plug a portable hard drive directly into the units USB port and start recording. When the case is done, they can take the file with them or download it to their laptop to view or edit video. One great thing about the HVO-1000MD recorder is that it is not a barrier to patient care, said Douglas M. Wisner, MD, Co-Chief Resident at Wills Eye. For example, when we are trying to transition quickly from the clinic to the OR, it only takes me about 30 seconds to enter in the information and get everything up and running. There have been times when residents have wished they captured a moment but didnt, because the older video system was more difficult to set up. So it is very advantageous that we are

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S T U D Y

The Sony systems ease of use allows us to teach them what they need to know, and then they can take what we have taught them and create their own processes.
Jack Scully, Director of Media Technology Services, Wills Eye Institute

It is absolutely crucial that we have high-quality video capability, both in the operating room and for review afterward.

always able to capture the moments that we may not have anticipated. The system also records in both standardand high-definitionespecially helpful for managing the varying technical abilities of the doctors at Wills Eye. Some are able to take an HD-recorded case, edit it on their computer in HD, and present it in HD, Scully said. Others dont want to deal with large HD files, so having the ability to record in SD is perfect for them. Thats the beauty of the HVO-1000MD. He added that the MPEG-2 system previously in use at Wills Eye more than met the teams needs 10 years ago, when most doctors were PC-based. But as many moved on to Macs, it became less of an elegant solution and harder for doctors to use with their Apple systems. The Sony recording system is MPEG-4, so its perfect for our doctors today, Scully said. More Effective Presentations Twice a month Wills Eye residents present their surgical cases to an attending in an auditoriumanother application where the Sony systems ease of use proves beneficial. Residents can plug their hard drive containing the recorded case into their computer in the auditorium and quickly and easily present their surgical cases for review.

Wills Eye residents also credit the Sony technology with helping to develop and improve their surgical skills. We can easily review our surgeries both at home and with colleagues, Wisner said. It also produces very good video quality, so we can see some of the finer points that might have otherwise been lost. Its an ideal training and education solution. Having the ability to record in standard definition or high definition makes a big difference in being able to manipulate the files for some of the training cases, too. The Wills Eye faculty members find the system useful in their daily routines. It clearly has made a big difference in terms of day-to-day work, preparation for conferences, review of teaching cases, and other aspects that are very integral to a busy teaching academic center such as Wills Eye, said Haller. From the facultys standpoint, many of us use videos at conferences and for continuing medical education purposes. We are very happy with the system, and it is very amenable to the multiple needs we have for video capture and editing. Scully added, With the number of doctors using our system every day and the different technical abilities of each when it comes to recording and editing videos, we were able to create a solution that works for everyone. This is an easy system to recommend to anyone.

Julia A. Haller, MD, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief, Wills Eye Institute

Sony Electronics Inc. 1 Sony Drive Park Ridge, NJ 07656 sony.com/hvo

ME-4037

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