CAMH Education announced the launch a new tool for clinical practice, a Video Observation System. Below, Vice President of Education, Dr. Ivan Silver, introduces this new initiative.
What we do in mental health clinical practice requires us to deliver many different skills all at the same time. And in our busy clinical practices, finding the time to review complex client interactions and make improvements can be a challenge.
That’s why I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the video observation system (VOS), an innovative tool that will make reviewing and reflecting on clinical practice simpler and more convenient. We are the first psychiatric hospital to use this novel recording system right at the point of care.
The system is installed in select rooms and is accessible throughout the CAMH internal network. To ensure privacy, we’ve taken great care to create a detailed policy for appropriate use of this system. It can only be used for education and training, for example, and everyone involved in the recording must consent, including staff, students and clients.
Our vision for the VOS is that it will improve quality of care for our clients by giving clinicians increased opportunities to practice something they are working on—either individually or as a group—reflect, receive feedback, and work toward an actionable improvement plan.
It will also improve the student experience at CAMH by giving learners the autonomy to set up recording events. Clinical supervisors and faculty will benefit from an additional tool to enhance the way we teach and learn.
We are especially excited about the VOS because its reach extends beyond the Simulation Centre: mobile units allow us to incorporate video playback into educational events anywhere across campus.
In my own clinical practice I have found the use of video for review and feedback very powerful. Once you get past the anxiety of seeing and hearing yourself on screen, you’ll find there is nothing more poignant, or more urgent, as learning by observing yourself and then receiving corrective feedback from a teacher, supervisor, or colleague.
More information on the video observation system including where it’s located and how to use it can be obtained by e-mailing us at simulation.centre@camh.ca.
Learn more about the CAMH Simulation Centre on YouTube here.