7 Benefits of Patient Education (and Why Video is the Future)

Wondering how to make a home repair? Car repair? Get a good workout? Learn a language? There’s a video for that. Increasingly, in classrooms across the world, video is becoming an educational platform. In fact, 81% of respondents in a survey reported using both digital and multimedia resources to help educate students. 

Given the importance of patient education and its positive impact on patients and providers, healthcare providers are regularly evaluating the best ways to help deliver the information patients need to make decisions about their care.

Quick Links:

• Patient Education Basics
• Patient Education Challenges
• Why Patient Education Delivery Methods Matter
• Top Benefits of Patient Education
• Why Patient Education Videos are the Future of Patient Education

Patient Education Basics

Patient education plays an essential role in bridging the gap between provider knowledge and patient understanding. The core principle is to provide patients with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health, including details about a diagnosis, treatment options, medication instructions, lifestyle changes, and preventive measures. 

Because healthcare terminology and concepts can be overwhelming for patients, particularly when they are already dealing with the stress of illness or injury, patient education plays an important role in decision making.

Further, it's essential to present information in a way that is easily understandable, culturally sensitive, and tailored to the individual’s literacy level. For that reason, visual aids, such as videos, can play a significant role in enhancing comprehension, making it easier for patients to absorb and retain critical information.

Patient education also promotes adherence to treatment plans. When patients fully understand the importance of following their prescribed regimen, they are more likely to comply with their healthcare provider's recommendations. This can lead to fewer complications, reduced hospital readmissions, and overall improved health outcomes.

Patient Education Challenges

While patient education is a vital component of effective healthcare, it comes with a unique set of challenges. One of the primary challenges is the wide range of health literacy levels among patients. More specifically, many patients struggle to understand complex medical information, which can lead to confusion, misinterpretation and non-compliance with treatment plans.

While varying education levels are one reason for comprehension issues, language barriers may create similar complications. Therefore, working to ensure patient education materials are accessible, culturally appropriate, and available in multiple languages is essential to overcoming these barriers.

Another significant challenge comes from time constraints within healthcare settings. Physicians and healthcare providers often have limited time during patient visits to thoroughly explain diagnoses, treatment options and follow-up care.

This can lead to rushed or incomplete explanations, which may leave patients with unanswered questions or misconceptions. Incomplete answers or misunderstandings can also contribute to increased anxiety and uncertainty for patients, potentially impacting their willingness to engage in their care. In fact, a 2022 survey revealed that more than half of patients left a provider’s office without having all their questions answered. Needless to say, the last thing you want is a patient going home and consulting “Dr. Internet” for their information.

And still, complications don’t only exist for patients or in patient communication. The rapid advancement of medical technology and treatments means providers must keep patient education materials up-to-date. This can be resource-intensive, especially for smaller practices or healthcare systems with limited budgets.

Overcoming these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including the integration of high-quality patient education videos along with other educational tools.

Why Patient Education Delivery Methods Matter

Traditional patient education methods, such as printed brochures or verbal explanations during appointments, often fall short in fully engaging patients and ensuring they comprehend the information.

These methods can be easily forgotten or misunderstood, particularly in the face of medical jargon or when patients are overwhelmed by their diagnosis. As a result, many patients leave healthcare encounters with only a partial understanding of their condition or the steps they need to take, which can negatively impact their health outcomes.

In contrast, modern patient education delivery methods, such as high-quality videos, offer a more dynamic and engaging way to convey important health information. Videos can break down complex medical concepts into easy-to-understand visuals, making it easier for patients to grasp and retain key details.

Further, patient education videos also allow for repetition, enabling patients to rewatch the content as many times as needed to fully understand their diagnosis, treatment options, or post-care instructions. This accessibility is particularly valuable for patients who may need to review information outside of a clinical setting, such as at home or with family members or caregivers.

Finally, video content can be incredibly adaptable and versatile. For example, videos can be customized to reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the patient population, ensuring that information is relevant and respectful of different backgrounds.

They can also be integrated into various platforms, such as patient portals, mobile apps, or social media, making it convenient for patients to access educational content whenever and wherever they need it.

In short, offering patients a variety of methods to learn about a diagnosis or treatment can help enhance understanding and engagement. 

Top Benefits of Patient Education

Patient education is a powerful tool that offers numerous benefits, not only for patients but also for healthcare providers and the overall healthcare system.

1. Improved Patient Outcomes

Patients knowledgeable about their conditions are more likely to adhere to treatment plans and manage their health effectively. In fact, research suggests patient education has a profound impact on outcomes for patients with chronic conditions.

2. Increased Patient Empowerment

Educated patients feel more in control of their health, leading to higher engagement in their care. Patients who receive detailed health information regarding their healthcare needs are more likely to participate actively in their healthcare decisions.

3. Reduced Hospital Readmissions

Effective patient education can significantly decrease the likelihood of hospital readmissions. When patients understand what actions they should be taking, they can reduce the need to go back for additional care.

4. Enhanced Patient Satisfaction

When patients understand their health and treatment options, they report higher satisfaction with their healthcare providers. In fact, nearly 70% of individuals who received patient educational materials are more likely to return to a provider and 80% noted patient education would improve their satisfaction with a provider.

5. Better Chronic Disease Management

Patient education is crucial in managing chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma. Patients who receive education on managing their chronic conditions are more likely to achieve target health outcomes, such as controlled blood pressure or stable blood sugar levels

6. Cost Savings for Healthcare Systems

Because educated patients are more likely to complete regimens and take medications as prescribed, they are less likely to require emergency care or repeated hospitalizations, leading to cost savings for healthcare systems.

7. Stronger Patient-Provider Relationships

Providing thorough education helps build trust between patients and healthcare providers. This one benefit cascades into other aspects of care, especially better communication, medication and treatment plan adherence, and follow-up care. This, in turn, leads to better outcomes and happier patients.

For providers to realize these benefits, patient education must be prioritized.

Why Patient Education Videos are the Future of Patient Education

As noted earlier, there are a wide variety of ways to deliver patient education. Traditional methods have long included pamphlets, brochures, and, these days, both printed research as well as short conversations with providers. Unfortunately, as noted, there are some shortcomings to those methods from lost brochures to comprehension issues.

In response to growing concerns regarding methodology, patient education videos are rapidly emerging as the future of patient education, revolutionizing the way healthcare information is delivered and consumed.

Unlike traditional methods, videos offer a dynamic and engaging way to present complex medical information. They combine visual elements with clear, concise language, making it easier for patients to understand and retain critical health information. As attention spans shorten and the demand for accessible, on-demand content grows, video-based education is becoming an indispensable tool in modern healthcare.

One of the primary advantages of patient education videos is their ability to simplify complex concepts. Medical jargon and intricate procedures can be daunting for patients, but videos can break down these topics into manageable, visually appealing segments. This not only enhances comprehension but also boosts retention, as the combination of visual and auditory learning has been shown to improve memory recall.

Furthermore, videos can be paused, rewound, and replayed, allowing patients to learn at their own pace and revisit information whenever they need clarification. This level of flexibility is particularly beneficial for patients with lower health literacy or those who need extra time to process medical information.

Another compelling reason why patient education videos are the future is their scalability and accessibility. Videos can be easily distributed across various platforms, including patient portals, mobile apps, and social media, making them accessible to a wide audience. They can also be translated into multiple languages and tailored to specific cultural contexts, ensuring that diverse patient populations receive relevant and understandable information.

Additionally, as telemedicine continues to grow, video-based education can seamlessly integrate into virtual care settings, providing consistent and reliable information regardless of the patient's location.

The future of patient education lies in harnessing the power of video to deliver high-quality, personalized and easily-accessible information. However, finding the time and resources to create those videos is both costly and time consuming.

To help overcome those challenges, iCoreConnect offers iCoreAcademy, a library of over 100 high-quality 4K, 3D patient education videos, in both English and Spanish, delivered on demand wherever your patient needs them, in the office or in their own home.

Ready to see how iCoreAcademy can help you realize patient education benefits? Book a demo today!