Abstract
The UK Government see digital interactive television (DiTV) as an effective delivery platform for health information. This study examines use of a one‐way DiTV video‐conferencing facility whereby the public received advice from a nurse visible on their TV. A multi‐method approach was used, combining computer logs, telephone and face‐to‐face interviews with users and nurse call‐handlers and consultation scripts. Although the service was well received, usage was low, possibly due to the novelty of the system. Clear differences of opinion emerged between nurses and the public regarding its benefits. Nurses enthused about the facility to transmit images and video‐clips to aid patients; whereas service users praised more the closer inter‐personal communication afforded by seeing the nurse. The relative ease of system use, and advantages over traditional telephone enquiry services indicate that this exciting and innovative initiative may well feature in future National Health Service plans.
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