Video education can improve awareness of risks for patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: A randomized trial

Communication of Voice-Related Complications in Thyroidectomy: A Qualitative Analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to characterize patient-surgeon discussions of voice-related complications during thyroidectomy for low-risk thyroid cancer.

STUDY DESIGN

A qualitative study.

SETTING

Three academic medical centers.

METHODS

Pre-operative clinic visits between 14 surgeons (6 otolaryngologists and 8 endocrine surgeons) and 49 patients with low-risk (cT1-2, N0) thyroid cancer were audio-recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analysis was used to evaluate surgeon counseling strategies and patient concerns related to voice.

RESULTS

Patients aged from 20 to 77 years old were predominantly female (77.6%) and white (89.9%). Surgeons presented risk with negative framing and numerical percentages (1%-4%) and/or qualified the risk as "low" or "small" for a lobectomy, but a "much bigger deal" for bilateral nerve injury in total thyroidectomy. At a minimum, surgeons referred to voice dysfunction as "voice change." Some further described "hoarseness" or the "inability to project voice." Other surgeons imitated what voice dysfunction would sound like. A few surgeons probed the importance of voice to a patient's life. One surgeon imparted that having a voice-related complication "can be really emotional." Patients responded with varying degrees of concern about voice changes after surgery, from feeling "super concerned … about losing [their] voice" to feeling "ok" with it "as long as [they're] around to deal with it."

CONCLUSION

Significant variability exists in how surgeons describe and set expectations about voice-related complications. The degree to which patients value voice-related outcomes differed based on their occupation and hobbies, but this was tempered by their cancer diagnosis. Further research is needed to identify optimal disclosure of voice-related risks and expectations.

Improving risk communication: a proof-of-concept randomised control trial assessing the impact of visual aids for neurosurgical consent

Introduction

Informed consent is a fundamental component in the work-up for surgical procedures. Statistical risk information pertaining to a procedure is by nature probabilistic and challenging to communicate, especially to those with poor numerical literacy. Visual aids and audio/video tools have previously been shown to improve patients' understanding of statistical information. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of different methods of risk communication in healthy participants randomized to either undergo the consent process with visual aids or the standard consent process for lumbar puncture.

Material and methods

Healthy individuals above 18 years old were eligible. The exclusion criteria were prior experience of the procedure or relevant medical knowledge, lack of capacity to consent, underlying cognitive impairment and hospitalised individuals. After randomisation, both groups received identical medical information about the procedure of a lumbar puncture in a hypothetical clinical scenario via different means of consent. The control group underwent the standard consent process in current clinical practice (Consent Form 1 without any illustrative examples), whereas the intervention group received additional anatomy diagrams, the Paling Palette and the Paling perspective scale. Anonymised questionnaires were received to evaluate their perception of the procedure and its associated risks.

Results

Fifty-two individuals were eligible without statistically significant differences in age, sex, professional status and the familiarity of the procedure. Visual aids were noted to improve the confidence of participants to describe the risks by themselves (p = 0.009) and participants in the intervention group felt significantly less overwhelmed with medical information (p = 0.028). The enhanced consent process was found to be significantly more acceptable by participants (p = 0.03). There was a trend towards greater appropriateness (p = 0.06) and it appeared to have "good" usability (median SUS = 76.4), although this also did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.06).

Conclusion

Visual aids could be an appropriate alternative method for medical consent without being inferior regarding the understanding of the procedure, its risks and its benefits. Future studies could possibly compare or incorporate multiple interventions to determine the most effective tools in a larger scale of population including patients as well as healthy individuals.

Effectiveness of educational videos on patient's preparation for diagnostic procedures: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Patients’ anxiety and unfamiliarity are barriers to undergoing diagnostic procedures.

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Studies found educational videos more effective than other forms of information.

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Educational videos minimise anxiety and improve patient satisfaction.

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Educational videos enable medical procedures best practices.

Although diagnostic procedures are crucial for secondary prevention and patient disease control, they often trigger fear and anxiety. These reactions highlight the need to adopt effective interventions to improve patients’ experience and satisfaction. Recently, educational videos have been employed in preparing diagnostic procedures; however, there is no integrated understanding of their effects. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of educational videos on patients’ anxiety and satisfaction regarding preparation for diagnostic procedures. Three scientific databases (PubMed; Web of Science, Scopus), were used in this systematic review. Studies about educational videos as a form of preparation for patients undergoing diagnostic procedures published between 2000 and 2021 were included. A meta-analysis was also conducted. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria for systematic review, and seven were included in the meta-analysis. Nine studies of the total sample were about vascular procedures and seven studies about other medical image procedures. Of the fourteen studies that evaluated the use of educational videos on patients’ anxiety, nine proved to reduce it significantly. Of the thirteen studies that evaluated satisfaction, seven showed a significant increase in the experimental group. Studies included in the meta-analysis show that educational video patient groups had lower anxiety levels than the control groups after the procedure. Although future studies are required, the results suggest that educational videos effectively prepare patients for diagnostic procedures, improving care quality.

Using Hyperrealistic Simulations to Improve Digital Informed Consent for Endourological Procedures

OBJECTIVES

To show that digital informed consent (DIC) improves the subjective understanding of information and, therefore, informed consent.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A nonblinded randomized controlled trial was performed with 84 patients who had undergone a transurethral resection of bladder, transurethral resection of prostate, or ureterorenoscopy between July 2017 to March 2018. The DIC group watched a hyperrealistic simulation on a tablet device before surgery. After surgery and again 30 days later, both groups completed a validated questionnaire that measured subjective understanding, anxiety, and utility of and need for information.

RESULTS

The mean±SD age of participants was 68.7±11.1 years. Nine of 84 patients (10.7%) did not complete the questionnaire. 42 patients were allocated to the DIC group and 42 to the control group. The mean±SD score on immediate subjective understanding in the DIC group was 14.5% higher than in control group (72%±17.5% vs 57.5%±23.5%, respectively; p=0.006). There was no statistical difference among anxiety, utility of and need for information relative to delayed subjective understanding. In subgroup analysis, subjective understanding scores were higher, but not significantly so, among patients with low and higher education levels in the DIC group than in the control group (68%±18.1% vs 54%±22.5%, respectively, p=0.06; and 76%±18.3% vs and 66%±21.9%, respectively, (p=0.89).

CONCLUSION

Hyperrealistic simulations improved subjective understanding of information and, therefore, informed consent for endourological procedures.

Afterthoughts on colonoscopy. Was it that bad?

OBJECTIVES

Colorectal cancer is among the top three most common cancers globally. In order to reduce the health burden, it is important to improve the uptake of colorectal cancer screening by understanding the barriers and facilitators encountered. There are numerous reports in the literature on the views of the general public on cancer screening. However, the experiences of colonoscopy patients are not as well studied. This paper maps their perceptions.

METHODS

Keyword searches for terms such as 'colorectal', 'colonoscopy' and 'qualitative' were conducted on 3 December 2019 in five databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science Core Collection. Qualitative articles that quoted colonoscopy-experienced patients with no prior history of colorectal cancer were included for the thematic analysis. The systematic review was then synthesized according to PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

The major themes were distilled into three categories: pre-procedure, during and post-procedure. The factors identified in the pre-procedure phase include the troublesome bowel preparation, poor quality of information provided and the dynamics within a support network. Perceptions of pain, emotional discomfort and the role of providers mark the experience during the procedure. The receipt of results, opportunities given for discussion and finances relating to colonoscopy are important post-procedure events.

CONCLUSION

Understanding colorectal cancer screening behaviour is fundamental for healthcare providers and authorities to develop system and personal level changes for the improvement of colorectal cancer screening services. The key areas include patient comfort, the use of clearer instructional aids and graphics, establishing good patient rapport, and the availability of individualized options for sedation and the procedure.