When time-pressed physicians discuss surgery with patients preparing to undergo a procedure, they tend to use technical language and jargon, which can be confusing. To combat this problem, some Australian physicians used iPads to prep patients for surgery, and they reported positive outcomes.
The trial included 88 patients facing surgery for acute renal colic, roughly half of whom discussed the procedure with a physician, and half of whom watched a video presentation with a physician-narrated cartoon animation on a tablet.
They found the video increased patient comprehension by 15.5 percent, compared to the direct consultation. Additionally, 71 patients (80.7 percent) preferred the video to the face-to-face meeting.
"Often doctors work within busy practices and clinical environments with time limiting the quality of a consult and or verbal consent for a procedure. Patients often find it difficult to comprehend their planned procedure," said lead researcher Matthew Winter. "We have found patients' knowledge is greatly improved through the use of portable video media and is their overall preferred method of information delivery compared with standard verbal communication."
Dr. Winters noted the video should not necessarily replace physician discussions, merely that it can supplement the informed consent process.
More articles on patient-physician communication:
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One-quarter of surgery cases involve communication errors: 5 things to know