When you need medical advice, what’s the first place you go? Your doctor or Google? 57% of internet users admitted that they use the Internet to search for health-related information before they even step foot into the doctor’s office.
The Internet has suppressed face-to-face communication as the main form of healthcare information gathering. And doctors are forced to adapt to new patients’ preferences. Human attention span is getting shorter than ever.
And patients often lack the focus to understand the instructions physicians are providing. Low patient understanding leads to low patient adherence and a higher risk of readmission. This way physicians are forced to search for new effective tools for patient education.
Statistics show that more people respond to video content than any other type of content on the web. More than 80% of people would rather watch a video about something than read text-based info about it. Videos are fun, undemanding, and can pack a bunch of information into a brief time period.
And medical conditions are not an exception. Animated videos are a perfect tool for educating patients about their condition. Patients like watching video content and are more likely to adopt visual information than oral instructions.
Better patient education leads to better patient satisfaction and reduced risk of readmission. There are several different ways healthcare professionals can use videos to educate patients. From clinical breast exam videos to post-operation instructions, here are three ways you can use video to engage your patients.
Educate patients
A video is a powerful tool in patient education strategies. Medical videos can be used to educate people on how to recognize many conditions. They can explain treatment requirements for certain diseases.
Patients are more likely to comply with instructions provided to them in the form of a video than in text form. And explainer videos are particularly useful in reminding people to take good care of themselves. A good clinical breast exam video, for example, can explain to women how to properly do a self-exam at home. A video about smoking-related illnesses can get people to finally quit that bad habit.
Pre-op instruction
And if you happen to find something on that clinical breast exam, a video can help you prepare for what’s to come. When it comes to surgeries many doctors rely on written pre-op instructions. Or the verbal approach to transmitting the information. But patients under stress are not always capable of fully understanding verbal instructions. And there’s always a danger that your pre-op pamphlet may remain unread.
That is why doctors should try to provide their patients with video instruction. The pre-op video should include info about how to prepare for the surgery. And frequently asked questions about their procedure. The video can be placed on the website or emailed directly to the patient. This will ensure that patients understand the procedure. And that they take all necessary pre-operative steps.
Getting Patients to Comply
Videos can be a perfect tool for educating patients even after the operation. Animated videos are especially useful to get people to comply to post-operative instructions. Patient adherence is a huge medical problem that many HCP are struggling to resolve.
Research have shown that as many as 40% of patients fail to adhere to treatment recommendations provided to them by physicians. The high number of dropouts brings out the higher number of death rates, particularly among chronic patients.
An explainer video can be a great way to strengthen the bond between patients and doctors. And to get patients to stick to their treatment, as complex as they may be. Animated videos and patient testimonials are particularly appropriate for the purpose as people identify with animated characters and people on the screen.
Their stories can be both educational and inspiring.
These were some of the ways healthcare professionals can use video to help patients. Videos increase understanding of medical conditions, clinical procedures, and the importance of adherence. If you have used videos in your healthcare practice, make sure to let us know how they worked for you.