The Healthcare Video: The Power of Multimedia in Patient Education
Overview
Healthcare video enhances patient education by combining visual, auditory, and narrative elements to improve understanding and retention. Multimedia patient education helps individuals better comprehend diagnoses, procedures, and treatment options, particularly when information is complex or emotionally overwhelming. When implemented effectively, healthcare video reduces anxiety, supports informed consent, and improves adherence to care instructions. As healthcare becomes increasingly digital, video is now a core component of modern patient education strategies.
Introduction
As healthcare and technology continue to merge with one another, how we communicate with patients in the fast lane trying to stay ahead of it all. Traditional methods of patient education — printed pamphlets, verbal explanations, and static charts — often fall short in meeting the diverse needs of modern patients. Enter healthcare video: a transformative approach that focuses on video content to bring clarity, engagement, and accessibility to patient education.
What is Healthcare Multimedia?
Multimedia in healthcare refers to the use of healthcare video content to convey information in an engaging and effective manner. From animations explaining complex procedures to tutorial videos demonstrating medical device usage, video-based education has the potential to bridge the gap between intricate medical concepts and patient understanding, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their care.
Why Traditional Patient Education Methods Aren’t Enough
Let’s face it: medical jargon can be overwhelming. Studies show that even well-educated patients often struggle to comprehend healthcare information when it’s delivered in a purely verbal or written format. For instance: a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association highlighted that patient comprehension significantly influences their ability to make appropriate health decisions, with improved understanding linked to better adherence to treatment recommendations and self-management.
Another research article in the International Journal for Quality in Health Care found that discharge information delivered solely through verbal or written means often resulted in limited patient understanding, emphasizing the need for improved communication strategies to enhance patient comprehension and knowledge.
These limitations lead to confusion, anxiety, and poor adherence to treatment plans.
Traditional patient education methods lack:
- Engagement: Static materials fail to capture and hold attention.
- Clarity: Complex language can be hard to understand.
- Flexibility: One-size-fits-all approaches don’t consider individual learning preferences or health literacy levels.
The Benefits of Healthcare Video Content in Patient Education
Healthcare video based content addresses these challenges by delivering information in a way that is:
- Visual: Videos simplify intricate medical concepts, making them easier to understand.
- Engaging: Dynamic visuals and narration capture attention and enhance retention.
- Accessible: Videos can be tailored to different languages, literacy levels, and cultural contexts.
- Scalable: Healthcare providers can use healthcare video content to educate large groups of patients without overburdening staff.
Multimedia improves patient understanding because it aligns with how people process information, especially in stressful healthcare situations. Visual cues reinforce spoken explanations, while pacing and repetition allow patients to absorb information at their own speed. This reduces cognitive overload and increases confidence in care decisions.
Healthcare Video Content in Action: How 5thPort is Leading the Charge
Healthcare videos are most effective in the following patient education scenarios:
• Informed consent and procedure explanations
• Oncology and chronic condition education
• Pre- and post-operative preparation
• Medication and medical device onboarding
• Clinical trial participant education
• Caregiver education and support
But truly, the list is endless…
Healthcare Video Content in Action: How 5thPort is Leading the Charge
As part of our commitment to revolutionizing patient education, 5thPort is at the forefront of integrating healthcare video based multimedia into healthcare. Our platform empowers healthcare providers with tools to create customized, engaging, and effective video content. From videos that explain complex procedures to interactive modules that measure comprehension, 5thPort ensures that patient education is not only informative but transformative.
At Christiana Care’s Radiation Oncology department, instead of receiving dense, written instructions that might feel overwhelming, patients watch a short healthcare video that explains the treatment process, potential side effects, and what to expect during and after radiation therapy. These videos, presented in a visually engaging and easy-to-follow format, help patients feel more informed and confident.
The result? Greater understanding, reduced anxiety, and better preparedness.
Other healthcare systems worldwide are already leveraging healthcare video content to enhance patient education, too:
- Video Tutorials: Short videos explaining how to use medical devices, such as inhalers or insulin pumps, are gaining popularity. UCLA Health offers an extensive online video library that includes tutorials on various medical procedures and device usages, helping patients understand their treatments better.
- Procedure Guides: Pre-surgical videos help patients understand what to expect, reducing fear and increasing preparedness. St. Luke’s Health System provides a comprehensive Pre-Surgery Video Guide, covering what patients can expect before, during, and after their surgical procedures.
- Virtual Educators: Digital AI avatars (more on this in an upcoming article!) are beginning to deliver personalized education on demand.
The effectiveness of healthcare video can be measured through both patient and operational outcomes, including comprehension assessments, reduced follow-up questions, informed consent completion rates, patient satisfaction scores, and adherence to treatment or care instructions. Read about it in our blog, here: How To Evaluate the Impact of Medical Videos for Patients | Blog
Join the Movement
This article is the first in a series by 5thPort exploring the many facets of healthcare video content in patient education. In upcoming articles, we’ll delve deeper into specific tools, technologies, and strategies that are shaping the future of healthcare communication.
Healthcare videos strengthens patient education by improving comprehension, reducing anxiety, and supporting informed decision-making across clinical, operational, and research settings.
Healthcare is about more than treating diseases; it’s about empowering patients. Stay tuned as we explore how video-based multimedia can change the game, and discover how 5thPort can be your partner in creating a smarter, more engaged patient population.
Want to learn more? Reach out for a quick demo by emailing us at Info@5thPort.com.
