There's another new player in webcasting surgical video: OR-live.com, which is recording on-request videos of various surgeries, both for the general public and for healthcare workers for CME credit, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A snip:
- The Web site, devoted to surgical videos, is a product of slp3D Healthcast Network. Its first St. Louis-based program airs at 3 p.m. Friday. The pre-recorded debut features two Washington University surgeons, who teamed up earlier this month on the nation's first two aortic abdominal graft repairs, using a new device made by Cook Group Inc.
The St. Louis video is Cook's initial foray into open access, online surgical demonstrations. It won't be the last.
The article says that Cook paid for the videotaping, and "its sales force will trumpet the video's on-demand availability on the Cook and OR-Live Web sites."
OK, is this a line-crosser or not? I'm not familiar enough with this particular area, but a device manufacturer paying for and promoting a surgical video featuring its products doesn't sound right to me. I'm way too squeamish to actually watch the videos to see how potential conflicts are handled, but if you're not, I'd be curious to know what you think.
