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Use of on-demand video to provide patient education on spinal cord injury

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2011 · DOI: 10.1179/2045772311Y.0000000015 · Published: July 1, 2011

Spinal Cord InjuryPatient ExperienceTelehealth & Digital Health

Simple Explanation

The study explores using online videos to educate people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) about managing their health. It compares traditional in-person education sessions with video recordings of those sessions available online. The results showed that both in-person and online formats were effective, with viewers gaining new information and considering changes in their behavior. Most online viewers felt video was better than written materials. The conclusion is that online video is a useful way to provide ongoing SCI education, reaching a wider audience than in-person sessions alone. It allows people to access information when they need it.

Study Duration
1 Year
Participants
422 in-person attendees and 66 online evaluators
Evidence Level
Not specified

Key Findings

  • 1
    Online video is an accessible, effective, and well-accepted way to present ongoing SCI education.
  • 2
    Ninety-one percent of online evaluators reported that video is better than text for presenting this kind of information.
  • 3
    Almost six-times more people in a single year accessed the videos via the Internet (2510 hits on the video links) than attended our SCI Forum presentations in person (n = 422) over 3 years.

Research Summary

This study investigated the use of on-demand video to provide patient education on spinal cord injury (SCI). The study compared the effectiveness of in-person SCI forums to online streaming videos of the same forums. The results showed that both the in-person and internet versions of the forums received high overall ratings. A large proportion of attendees reported learning new information, finding the information useful, and changing their attitudes and behaviors as a result. The study concluded that online video is an accessible, effective, and well-accepted way to present ongoing SCI education and can reach a wider geographical audience than in-person presentations.

Practical Implications

Wider reach of education

Online video can extend the reach of patient education to individuals who cannot attend in-person sessions due to geographical or other barriers.

Improved information retention

Video media may enhance understanding and retention of health information compared to written materials.

Resource for healthcare professionals

The videos serve as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals seeking high-quality SCI information for their patients and for training staff and students.

Study Limitations

  • 1
    We do not have information on the number or characteristics of individuals who did not provide feedback on the in-person SCI Forum presentations.
  • 2
    The representativeness of the online surveys is uncertain.
  • 3
    While our survey questions ask respondents to indicate whether their attitudes or behavior changed as a result of viewing the forum presentation, we are not able to confirm the validity of their self-report.

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