BLOG: Engaging, educating cataract patients
Properly educating cataract patients is essential for informed consent and helps them to be more involved in their care. When they understand how cataracts are treated and are aware of their options, they have a more satisfying experience.
My method for sharing information with patients involves a combination of pre-education using materials sent via TouchMD before the consult and an animated 4-minute video they watch in the office that shows the Catalys (Johnson & Johnson Vision) laser steps of the procedure vs. manual surgery and mentions astigmatism and IOLs. These supplement my conversation in which I describe laser surgery benefits and lens options.
It’s all about video
The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that patients expect — and are receptive to — digital video education. Studies show video is among the most effective methods we can leverage to educate patients. A University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine study reports that video supplementation demonstrated an improvement in patient understanding of cataract surgery and decreased anxiety on the day of surgery. Patients who watch video have a 19% higher knowledge score vs. physician discussion alone; 44% of health professionals deliver patient education through online video.
My practice tested a new patient education platform (supported by Johnson & Johnson Vision, powered by Ocular Innovation) called askPAM (Patient Advocacy Manager). Patients can access relevant, engaging video content directly from their smartphones via a text message link. With askPAM, there is no email, no app and no login required, making the experience seamless for the practice and the patient.
Text-based campaign
The text-based video campaign delivers a 2-minute video per day in a “drip” campaign. The library’s 13 customizable videos follow the patient journey. Remote education lets patients spend less time in the practice, helping to both reduce concerns about long wait times and improve surgeon chair time. Better educated patients may be more likely to opt for premium offerings.
Practices can access key performance indicators associated with askPAM, like how many videos were viewed and which had repeated viewings or were stopped. A survey at the end of the series helps practices understand the before and after impact of the education.
Conclusion
Remote patient education supports pandemic-driven patient and industry needs. Platforms that support home-based education often use email and require users to download an app or create a login and password. Avoiding the pitfalls associated with those steps is a major benefit of askPAM. Of course, a clear explanation of options and a strong personal recommendation for the vision correction plan from the surgeon are key, but with video-based “pre-education,” I can be much more directed and specific in my conversation with patients.
Reference:
- Zhang MH, et al. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2019;doi:10.1007/s00417-019-04372-5.
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