Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.
For 30 years, Medscape has been grounded in trust, credibility, and clinical excellence, providing physicians and healthcare professionals with accurate, evidence-based information that supports clinical practice and professional growth. Medscape’s unparalleled reach, reliability, and innovation serves millions of clinicians worldwide with physician-led, peer-reviewed content that reflects the latest standards of care. Through our extensive video programs, we showcase the expertise of world-renowned clinicians and researchers, offering practicing physicians and healthcare professionals valuable insights and clinical perspectives across a range of specialties.
What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?
Medscape’s mission is to empower healthcare professionals with cutting-edge tools and trusted information, leveraging AI and digital innovation to enhance clinical decision-making and support lifelong professional growth.
Medscape distinguishes itself by offering a free, fully integrated platform that brings together clinical reference tools, real-time medical news, and accredited continuing medical education in one place.
How can people join or learn more about what you do?
Dozens of Medscape’s videos can be seen here on Medscape’s video page. Medscape membership is free and provides unlimited access to the entire network of sites and services.
Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?
Communication Strategies for Hispanic/Latino Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, captures a lively, insightful conversation between Mexican-born Dr. Enrique Caballero and Maureen Balaguera, MSN, who are Boston clinicians dedicated to improving outcomes for their Latino patients with type 2 diabetes. They comment that language barriers and cultural subjectivity on the part of clinician or patient may hinder patients in the optimal management of their diabetes. In this discussion, Dr Caballero and nurse Balaguera offer effective strategies, starting with ‘humble inquiry’, to bridge cultural and language gaps, ensure appropriate management, and ultimately save lives.
This video is part of Medscape’s Care Cues series, which highlights the way members of a care team ensure successful patient communication. Care team members share ways in which they recognize and consider their patients’ diverse backgrounds, knowledge, and cultural identities as means to ensure optimal shared decision-making in the management of a patient’s disease.
What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?
Medscape often takes the opportunity to highlight underserved populations. In this case, we had the chance to highlight efforts made by these two professionals to address the needs of the Hispanic/Latino community, which is at high risk for type 2 diabetes and its complications. Despite the availability of great medications, including many developed and approved in recent years, many patients in this community are not doing well, and Dr Caballero and Ms. Balaguera address what the healthcare system can do better to improve the outcomes of these patients.
Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?
Less is sometimes more. This simple, straightforward production conveys many important takeaways for clinicians treating patients with type 2 diabetes and other medical conditions.
Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?
How to avoid a sea of beige? Both participants showed up with jackets in the beige family in a room with a beige curtain as backdrop. The curtain conceals a beautiful view of one of Boston’s bridges, but sunlight streaming in would have been a challenge. We lit the set to separate Dr. Caballero’s jacket from the backdrop and found some brightly colored books to add to the backdrop. Happily, the hotel suite we used as a “studio” had a colorful piece of artwork behind Ms. Balaguera.
Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’
…capturing candid moments without narrative interference. In this case, these two dedicated colleagues disseminate teachings from their shared mission simply by allowing us to capture their intimate, informed, conversation.
