It’s an increasingly common sight: as you enter your patient exam rooms, they’re watching news or entertainment videos on their smartphones while they wait. In fact, of Americans, Canadians, and Brits questioned about online video consumption, 87% said they watch online video on a mobile device, with over half doing so via smartphone.1 That’s a whole lot of YouTubers, TikTokers, and Facebook video viewers.
As patients already embrace video to get information, it’s a fitting format for delivering health education. Video-based patient education provides guidance visually and audibly, helping increase patients’ (even those with low health literacy2) ability to understand and retain information they receive from you during, after, and in-between care visits. And it’s ready whenever and wherever they are.
Here are four ways to use video to enhance patient engagement and experience:
1. Manage conditions along the entire care journey
Share condition-specific education videos to provide patients with information on their diagnosis and condition, plus techniques and other guidance on how to manage their symptoms, understand their medications and treatment, and follow their care plan.
Use video to engage patients during an in-person or telehealth visit. Provide step-by-step instructions, for instance, on how to use an inhaler or administer insulin. Reviewing videos with patients reinforces your care instructions and lets the patient “teach back” to show understanding.
Ensure video education is written at a 5th to 6th grade reading level, with multiple titles available in various languages. Share it via your patient portal or include on your health system’s website. Patients can watch and process information at their convenience—with family members or caregivers—leading to better outcomes.
2. Turn healthy behaviors into habits that stick
Encourage patients to take steps toward a healthier lifestyle—from eating better to moving more to stressing less—while ensuring your support along the way.
Share videos on healthy topics like meal planning to manage health conditions, starting a physical activity routine, quitting smoking, relaxation techniques, and more. You’ll empower patients to set and reach their own personal health and wellness goals, while lowering their health risks.
3. Provide pre- and post-surgery tips to cut complication risks and help healing
Surgery—minor or major—puts demands on the body. Reinforce your guidance to patients before and after a surgical procedure to help ensure the best possible outcome, a minimum of stress, and a successful recovery. Rather than providing a printed instruction sheet—or verbal directions—use short videos to recap key points on everything from the procedure’s risks to benefits to recovery, followed by frequently asked questions and answers.
No matter what type of surgery your patient is having, videos can help you educate them on how choosing healthy behaviors can help strengthen the immune system for faster healing.
4. Reach patients and raise awareness around the clock
Social media posts with video have 48% more views and visual content on Facebook specifically increases engagement by 65%. So not only do more people see your content with video, they engage with it.3
Meet patients where they live—online—by sharing video-based education to boost social media channels and enhance your website. Use video to raise public awareness or remind followers about annual (flu shots) or emerging (COVID-19) health concerns. You’ll become their trusted source for credible health content.
Sites with video content rank for competitive keywords and appear more prominently in search results. Plus, video decreases bounce rates by quickly engaging visitors. Once they’re engaged, chances are good they’ll click through to other parts of your site.4
References
1 Zantal-Wiener A. The what, where, and how of video consumption [new data]. HubSpot Marketing Blog. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/online-video-consumption-preferences-data. Published November 12, 2018. Accessed August 27, 2020.
2 Grady M. Moving beyond written reinforcement: using video skill clips to reinforce pediatric patient education and increase caregiver confidence. Int J of Nurs Clin Pract. 2018; 5:287.
3 Mighty K. How to generate more leads and customers using social media vides [free ebook]. HubSpot Marketing Blog. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-social-media-ebook. Published March 21, 2017. Accessed August 31, 2020.
4 Forno S. Video SEO: 7 ways video boosts SEO. Idea Rocket Web site. https://idearocketanimation.com/14585-video-seo. Published November 19, 2019. Accessed August 31, 2020.
