Objectives: To determine whether patients felt that the show Trauma: Life in the ER has primarily educational or entertainment value. To determine if people felt that this show violated privacy.
Methods: Survey in an academic emergency department. Subjects were asked to participate in an initial survey, then asked to watch video clips from the show and complete a second survey.
Results: Three hundred ninety two participated in the initial survey. Fifty-six percent surveyed had seen the program, and of those, 55% stated that they watched the show for both educational and entertainment value. Of the initial participants, 267 watched the video and completed the second survey. Sixty-four percent stated that they would feel comfortable being filmed without prior permission. Eighteen percent of patients felt that the show violated patients' privacy.
Conclusions: Most patients felt that this show was educational and did not invade their privacy. The majority were willing to be filmed for this television show, even without prior permission.