Effects of Lumbar Puncture Educational Video on Parental Knowledge, Perceived Risks and Consenting Acceptability

Abstract

Objectives: To assess a newly developed educational video about lumbar puncture (LP), in the parents' native language, tailored to their social background, and whether it facilitates their consent for LP. Methods: The randomized, controlled trial was conducted at outpatient pediatric clinics at a teaching hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The conventional arm used LP verbal explanation. The second group utilized a standardized video with similar information. Parents' knowledge, perceived LP risks, and willingness to consent were measured, before and after the intervention. Results: We enrolled 201 parents, with similar baseline characteristics. Both groups had an increase in knowledge scores, with Wilcoxon signed-rank test showing significant knowledge gains (Verbal Explanation: W=2693, n=83, P<0.001, and Video: W=5538, n=117, P< 0.001). However, the conventional verbal counseling resulted in more consistent knowledge gain (SD=14.5) as compared to the video group (SD= 18.94). The video group reported higher perceived risk (Mean 8.2, SD 3.59) than the verbal group (mean 7.12, SD 2.51). The less-educated parents perceived higher LP risk after watching the video (P< 0.001). Conclusions: LP video education in parents' native language is as effective as conventional verbal education for the informed consent, with the additional advantage of reproducibility and more illustrations. While videos could facillitate remote procedural consenting process during infectious disease outbreaks; however, this should be followed by direct verbal interaction with parents, to ensure their full understanding and address any further concerns.