HiLiteMD: Transforming Patient Education
A medical treatment plan is a detailed strategy created to provide management and care of a diagnosis for a patient to combat a disease or disorder. Treatment plans are created to help a patient overcome these challenges and reach specific health goals to improve on their condition. The use of recorded video to communicate what the condition entails and the approach for treatment/recovery offers a powerful method for engaging patients to not only support their treatment, but aid in recovery as well. For example, when a patient is diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and is aware of his treatment plan, the patient gains confidence in his provider because the patient is better informed, and the understanding is significantly increased. This allows for better conversations with the provider and offers a level of engagement that advances treatment goals. Along with the provider, the patient feels in control of their health and this increases adherence to the guidance provided.
The traditional approach with educating patients verbally and providing printed documents is limited by a range of problems for both parties, such as:
- Documents always have the chance to get misplaced and lost especially with geriatric patients. This can add the number of the already 51% of patients who research online for information regarding their condition and adapt according to inaccurate or misunderstood information. With the HiLiteMD platform, patient education brochures and documents can be sent electronically along with explanatory videos from providers for better comprehension, visualization, recalling instructions and reducing the level of confusion around one’s condition.
- According to the U.S. illiteracy statistics from the Literacy Project Foundation the average adult is considered to have a readability level equivalent to a 7th grader (12 or 13 years old). Most medical terminology is complex and understanding medical treatment information is challenging for most adults.
- It is time-consuming for providers to educate patients and costly to print colorful brochures and handout to each visiting patient. Alternatively, relevant videos for a condition can be recorded once and distributed through our platform at a fraction of the cost when considering how many documents are distributed over the course of a year.
- In many cases, patients usually get nervous before clinical procedures such as getting operated. With this example, Dadich, et al. (2018) reported that 15% of patients change their decision to get operated due to lack of knowledge concerning the surgery procedure. In this case, offering a video regarding the surgical procedure helps patients in gaining the confidence to undergo the surgery. This level of engagement and understanding is amplified with watching a recorded video and delivers much better patient satisfaction than the printed documents handed to patients.
Using recorded videos as part of the treatment plan:
- Better comprehension with narration, explanation and illustration- Amanat, et al. (2018) estimated that 97% of doctors believe that patients often are confused as they are unable to understand the clinical instructions. A visual and auditory tool that can be replayed can help patients grasp the instructions more easily than a piece of paper handed to them and subsequently improve patient-provider communication. Great communication is important to help all patients understand complex medical information and to become active participants in their own medical care. This is especially important when providing informed consent for procedures when providers must explain the diagnosis, treatment options, alternatives, risks and benefits, medications and their uses, and long-term goals. In 2007, the American Medical Association produced the Health Literacy Program video “Health Literacy And Patient Safety: Help Patients Understand,” in which one patient had not been able to read the informed consent materials and recall the information discussed in a preoperative consult. The patient signed a series of consent forms, but could not read or understand all of them, and did not realize she was consenting to a hysterectomy. It was not until after the surgery that she became aware of the procedure at her postoperative follow-up visit.
- Better memory and increased loyalty of patients- In a survey, it was found that 43% of patients interviewed could not recall their diagnosis during their first week in the hospital. As the number of medical information statements given to patients increased, patients’ ability to remember everything decreased. Many prior studies have shown that patients’ abilities to recall medical information can be improved by certain interventions such as audio recordings and patient education video recordings about medical conditions, treatments, and discharge instructions. With HiLiteMD you can also offer support services after treatment in the form of Telehealth follow-up that is otherwise not feasible with in-person visits that provides convenience to patients, which will increase their loyalty for future medical care treatments.
- Establishes deeper bond- Providing such compulsory videos as a means to educate and engage patients in their healthcare journey helps you to better bond with patients and build their trust in you. It has been observed that when patients receive treatment information and details concerning their medical condition through a video, they feel more valued and consider the healthcare system more effective and transparent. With this outcome, many become promoters to the healthcare organization that offers such digital video content services.
- Younger Generations- People under the age of 25 have an increased tendency to avoid visiting hospitals and clinics. In this regard, the direct relationship between doctors and younger patients is reduced by 70% as they will research their symptoms online and seek out treatments online as well. When providers incorporate online access to medical information and treatment, younger patients are more likely to utilize this information and these services than seeking random websites and videos to self-diagnose and treat themselves.
HiLiteMD offers over 2,000 patient education videos and offers services to produce custom patient education videos for healthcare providers. Our award-winning treatment videos can transform how your patients receive information and enhance the patient digital experience. For more information on how HiLiteMD can humanize the patient digital experience please contact us at info@HiLiteHealth.com or go to our website at https://www.hilitehealth.com.
Bryan Graven
CEO|HiLite Health