5 Strategies to Improve Patient Comprehension (and How to Evaluate Patient Understanding in Healthcare)

Patient education falls short because patients are overwhelmed, and it’s often hard to know what actually landed. They are asked to absorb diagnoses, treatment plans, side effects, medications, and next steps – often in a single visit, and often during moments of fear or stress. 

When patients leave without fully understanding what they’ve been told, the impact shows up later: calls from caretakers or family members, inconsistent treatment adherence, missed appointments, confusion and frustration for both patients and their care teams. 

That’s why improving patient comprehension and how to evaluate patient understanding, is so critical. 

Below are five practical strategies healthcare teams use to improve patient understanding, along with ways to assess whether education is actually working. 

• Strategy #1: Simplify Communication Through Plain Language Text

A patient may nod along during a consult, then later struggle to explain what terms like “fractionation,” “target volume,” or “adverse effects” actually mean. When clinical language isn’t translated into everyday words, understanding breaks down quietly — often after the visit is over. 

Plain language means using words patients already recognize. Instead of “hypertension,” you say “high blood pressure.” Instead of “adverse effects,” you say “side effects.” This clarity makes it easier for patients to follow instructions, ask questions, and feel confident about next steps. When language is clear, comprehension improves — and confusion is less likely to surface later as missed appointments or poor adherence. 

Using plain language reduces cognitive overload by replacing medical jargon with familiar terms, making information easier to process. This improves patient comprehension and recall and can be evaluated through teach-back accuracy, fewer clarification questions, and improved adherence to instructions.

• Strategy #2: Personalize Patient Education

Two patients can receive the same diagnosis and walk away with very different levels of understanding. One may prefer visual explanations. Another may need education in a different language or at a slower pace. When education isn’t tailored, patients are more likely to disengage or misunderstand key information.  

Personalized education adapts content to a patient’s language preference, learning style, cultural context, and treatment plan. When education feels relevant and accessible, patients are more likely to engage with it, retain what they’ve learned, and speak up when something isn’t clear — all of which supports stronger comprehension. 

Personalizing patient education aligns information with individual language needs, learning preferences, and cultural context, increasing relevance and engagement. This leads to better understanding and can be measured through patient feedback, comprehension assessments, and engagement with educational materials.

• Strategy #3: Leverage Multimedia and AI in Patient Education

A patient leaves an appointment with printed materials, only to realize later they can’t remember how a treatment works or what side effects to expect. Without a way to revisit information, uncertainty grows outside the exam room. 

Multimedia tools like short videos and visuals give patients the ability to review education at their own pace. AI-driven content can further personalize these materials based on diagnosis or language needs. Presenting information in multiple formats helps reinforce understanding and ensures patients aren’t relying on memory alone after a stressful visit. 

The Power of Multimedia: Multimedia engages patients on multiple levels—visually, audibly, and interactively. This multi-sensory approach helps reinforce learning and makes information more memorable, which is crucial when you need to evaluate patient understanding. In a 2020 study of patients with cerebral aneurysms, patients receiving an educational intervention through multimedia reported significant improvements to their level of understanding (95.7%), that it was helpful (86.9%), and relevant (87%) to their clinic visit. 

AI in Multimedia: Artificial Intelligence takes multimedia to the next level by creating adaptive and responsive content. AI can adjust the pace, complexity, and delivery of educational materials based on the patient’s feedback, ensuring the content meets their needs and adjust educational strategies accordingly.

Multimedia education reinforces learning by presenting information visually and audibly, allowing patients to review content at their own pace. This improves comprehension and confidence and can be evaluated through content engagement metrics, knowledge checks, and reduced follow-up support needs.

• Strategy #4: Reinforce Learning with Quizzes and Surveys

Patients will often say they understand their care plan, but in reality, it’s hard to know what actually stuck. Passive education can leave gaps that go unnoticed until problems arise. 

Quizzes and surveys actively assess understanding by prompting patients to apply what they’ve learned rather than passively receive information. This clarifies comprehension gaps and is measured through response accuracy, completion rates, and changes in patient behavior.

• Strategy #5: Implement Teach-Back Techniques

Asking a patient, “Do you understand?” often leads to a polite yes — even when questions remain. Teach-back shifts the focus by asking patients to explain information in their own words, making gaps in understanding easier to spot. 

Teach-back improves patient comprehension by requiring patients to explain information in their own words, immediately revealing gaps in understanding. This enables real-time correction and is evaluated through accurate patient explanations, improved adherence, and fewer care errors.

How To Evaluate Patient Understanding

• Teach-back responses that accurately explain care steps

• Quiz or survey completion results

• Reduced follow-up clarification calls

• Improved adherence to medications or treatment plans

• Fewer missed appointments or care errors

Read more here: How To Evaluate the Impact of Medical Videos for Patients | Blog

Multimedia patient education, including video-based explanations, plays a critical role in reinforcing comprehension and supporting informed consent across clinical and research settings.

In Conclusion…

Improving patient comprehension is essential to delivering high-quality care — especially when patients are navigating complex diagnoses, treatments, and care plans across any specialty or setting. 

By simplifying communication, personalizing education, leveraging multimedia and AI-Avatars, reinforcing learning through quizzes and surveys, and implementing teach-back techniques, healthcare teams gain clearer insight into how to evaluate patient understanding at every stage of the care journey. 

Tools like 5thPort help streamline these strategies by giving care teams practical ways to deliver education and measure comprehension without adding burden. When understanding is visible, education becomes more effective — and patients feel more supported and prepared for what’s next. 

If you’re spending too much time repeating the same explanations, answering follow-up questions, or worrying about whether patients truly understand their care, see how 5thPort can help. Reach out for a quick demo at info@5thPort.com or fill out the contact form here.