Patient-Reported Use of Personalized Video Recordings to Improve Neurosurgical Patient-Provider Communication

Abstract

Background: Providing patients with a video recording of their visit with a medical professional is a common-sense method for improving patient-provider communication.Objective: To describe the patient and provider experiences to video recording clinical medical encounters and providing the patient with a copy of the video for informational purposes.Methods: Since 2009, over 2,800 patients of eight different neurosurgeons chose to be video recorded during their encounter with the doctor and were provided access to the recording to watch over again as a way to recall what the doctor had said. The video system was set up as a handheld video camera, and video files were downloaded and made accessible to patients via a secure Internet patient portal. Between 2012 and 2014, patients who participated were surveyed regarding their use of the video and what was recorded on the video. The experience of the providers from a clinical and medico-legal standpoint was also reviewed.Results: Three hundred and thirty-three responses to the survey were received (39.2% response rate). More than half of patients (N=333; 56.2%) watched their video more than once, and over two-thirds (N=333; 68.6%) shared their video with a family member, friend, or another physician. Patients self-reported improved memory after watching their videos (N=299; 73.6% could remember more) and 50.2% responded that having the video made them feel more “at ease” with their medical problem (N=299). Overall, 88.0% of respondents indicated that their video had been helpful to them, and 98.5% would recommend having future visits video recorded. No patient made a comment that the video was intrusive or had prevented them from being open with their doctor. Finally, in the high-risk specialty of neurosurgery, none of the 2,807 patients who have been recorded since 2009 have used a video in a medico-legal action.Conclusions: Patient responses to the recording system and having a copy of their video were very positive. Most respondents indicated that they had improved memory as well as decreased anxiety about their neurosurgical problem. There have been no legal challenges to date from giving patients access to the video recording. Our results indicate that the benefits to patients for expanding the use of video in medicine may outweigh perceived risks to providers.

Digital clinical encounters

“…Yet a handful of clinics in the US are taking a proactive approach 2. A cancer clinic in Texas offers patient digital recorders to capture their visit information,6 and a neurological institute offers patients video recordings of their visits that are accessible on a secure website 7. One doctor in Michigan has been offering to record clinical encounters since 2011 8…”

Oferta de actividades preventivas propuestas por médicos residentes de Medicina Familiar en Atención Primaria y su relación con las habilidades comunicacionales

“…Sin embargo, las videograbaciones permiten una valoración en profundidad de cada entrevista sin alterar el transcurso de la misma, siendo un recurso docente habitual empleado en la formación de posgrado4, 9, 27, 28. Además, diferentes autores5, 29, 30 no encuentran cambios en los comportamientos de los residentes ni en la duración o la calidad de la consulta, permitiendo comprobar el desempeño habitual en la atención a pacientes reales. El sesgo de información se trató de resolver con la formación previa de los evaluadores externos y el uso de un cuestionario validado 14 .…”

A prospective, randomized, single‐blinded trial for improving health outcomes in rhinology by the use of personalized video recordings

“…Johnson et al . found no differences between standard written information, standard information plus video, and standard information and video, plus formal nurse‐taught education . Rather than just using standardized video, few studies have examined the impact of individualized audio and video recordings.…”

“…In addition, previous studies that have explored the use of clinic recordings have found no increased risk of malpractice suits with personalized recorded videos . In fact, Meeusen and Porter previously published their experience with recording 2100 videos in high‐risk neurosurgery specialty without a single legal challenge from patients relating to or involving the video recording.…”

“…These 2 visits were chosen as they were thought to be critical visits with a vast amount of information relayed from the physician to the patient and family. These videos were then encrypted and uploaded to a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)‐complaint secure server (cloud) as previously validated by Meeusen and Porter . Patients were then randomized to receive access by our clinical research coordinator and given or denied access to the video via the cloud server.…”