Eyeworld

14 Ophthalmology Business • March 2017 by Vanessa Caceres, Contributing Writer Videos advance patient education series of videos on various proce- dures and conditions. For patients who will have cataract surgery with the Catalys Precision Laser (Abbott Medical Optics, Abbott Park, Illinois), links to the videos are sent to pa- tients before they visit the practice as well as on the day of the visit, prior to their workup. "When patients come into the lane, it's obvious who has seen the videos and who hasn't based on the questions they're asking," Dr. Brockman said. "The ones who have seen the videos are educated and are asking the proper questions. That has been a big bonus for both parties." Videos also give physicians and staff a starting point to facilitate a discussion of ocular pathology and surgical procedures, said Inna Ozerov, MD, Miami Eye Institute, Hollywood, Florida. Her practice uses videos from Rendia (formerly Eyemaginations, Baltimore), You- Tube, and the app Sight Selector (Pa- tient Education Concepts, Houston). Because patients can play them as often as needed, videos enhance the patient's educational potential on a topic. "Someone can go back and hear a message multiple times until the point sticks. There are only so many times a doctor or health provider can say something in a stan- dard appointment," said Dan Farkas, lecturer of strategic communication, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Videos with spoken words also can help low vision patients, who may struggle with reading written materials, said Jullia Rosdahl, MD, PhD, Department of Ophthalmolo- gy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. When used as part of other educational efforts at a practice, published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. 1 In a more recent study, patient education that involved the use of sight, hearing, and touch during informed consent improved patient understanding, according to research in the Journal of Bone and Joint Sur- gery. 2 Study authors compared patient groups: One group listened to a ver- bal discussion explaining treatment, a second group received verbal infor- mation and watched a video, and a third group listened to a discussion, watched a video, and touched treat- ment areas on a 3-D knee model. The latter group did best. When patients better understand what to expect from treatment, their anxiety levels decrease, a study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons reported. 3 In that study, patients anticipating a lung proce- dure who watched a 30-minute prep video reported less anxiety preoper- atively as well as less physical pain postoperatively and greater overall satisfaction. Videos also help surgeons and staff save time, said E. Britt Brock- man, MD, John-Kenyon, Louisville, Kentucky. The practice created a Here's how to maximize their use at your practice W ith everyone's eyes glued to YouTube and other video sources nowa- days, it's only natural that ophthal- mologists would turn to videos for patient education. It's as easy as clicking on a link so patients can watch someone else talk about the basics of their eye disease, right? Actually, using videos for patient education requires a thoughtful approach to video choice, length, and content; not all videos are right for all patients, according to oph- thalmologists who use videos and communication experts. However, well-chosen videos have several advantages to improve the patient experience at your practice. First, use of a video along with information sheets at lower reading grade levels during informed consent can boost patient understanding, authors reported in a 2012 study

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