These pages contain information about health ethics videos available at libraries throughout Alberta. Please note that this guide was developed in 1997, so videos produced since then are not included on the list and some of the videos may no longer be held at the libraries indicated. Despite these limitations, PHEN has decided to keep this information on our website with the hopes that it is useful for those seeking information about videos related to health ethics issues.


Review Criteria Guide

Following is a brief guide that explains the criteria used to screen the videos.

Title:

The name of the episode or program.

Reviewed By:

The name of the person who has reviewed the video program. If this category does not appear it means that the video has been reviewed by the principal compiler of this catalogue - Bashir Jiwani.

Length:

Duration of program in hours and minutes.

Producer:

Who sponsored production of the program or what company produced it.

Date:

When the program was made.

Location(s):

Where - in which library or centre - the video can be found. A list of the possible locations and how to contact them can be found at the end of this document.

Description:

A short description of the content of the program.

Medical Issues:

What medical conditions or treatments are mentioned in the video (this category is often left blank as medical particulars are not always mentioned in the programs).

Ethical Issues:

A brief listing of some of the ethical issues that are raised in the video. Some issues noted are not explicitly raised but can be raised or thought about from what the video depicts or presents.

Perspective:

This category mentions the perspective the video represents or from which the video has been made.

Watchability:

The aesthetic quality of the video - not from a philosophical point of view but a practical perspective (i.e. is the picture quality good, is the sound clearly audible, has it been well edited.) Often if a video is dry or boring it is mentioned here. The videos generally fall into one of four categories:

  • Home Video Quality indicates a video that involves little or no editing. Often only one stationary camera is used resulting in a fairly boring presentation.
  • Information Video Quality suggests a video that uses various editing techniques but that is obviously made to pass on some specific instruction or information to a particular group. It is often staged. An example of this kind of program that comes to mind is the "infomercial" of late night television. 
  • Public Television Quality is a very well edited program that often looks like a documentary. It is more sober and less glitzy than commercial television programming. 
  • Private Television Quality indicates a program that one might see on a cable television channel, interspersed with commercials - thereby part of the bait that television stations use to sell audiences to their sponsors.

Comments:

Some general thoughts on the video. Comments include strengths of the video from the perspective of presenting ethical issues to a group, the suitability of the video for use in presenting workshops on ethics, and whether the video is suitable or worthwhile for home viewing.