Use of patient video cases in medical education

Patient video cases (PVCs) are brief video recordings of patients during spontaneous or instructed activity. PVCs are true to life and can be replayed, enabling the establishment of highly interactive, contextual and safe learning environments, with a minimum of facilitation. This article describes the use of workshops in which PVCs are used to assist with the development of observational skills and clinical reasoning in medical students and postgraduates. We describe why PVCs are a valuable addition to an educator's portfolio of resources, what evidence there is for their effectiveness, how to use videos for teaching, and some practical advice and tips on their collection and storage.