Improving comprehension in informed consent for medical procedures through dynamic testing

Abstract

Multimedia presentations have been developed in an effort to standardize informed consent for surgical procedures and to reduce the burden on health care systems and providers. The goal of this proof-of concept study was to determine whether dynamic testing of a patient education video on thyroidectomy would lead to greater knowledge. Students at a New York City university were recruited to participate. The 20-minute video was divided into four segments of 5 minutes each. Participants (n=120) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 1) dynamic testing (after the segment) + feedback (correct vs. incorrect answers); 2) dynamic testing only; and 3) control (no dynamic testing). At the completion of all four segments, participants completed a knowledge posttest. Participants in the testing + feedback group scored higher on the posttest compared with those in the testing only or control group (p < .01). Controls found the experience more mentally taxing than the testing + feedback group (p <.05). Providing dynamic feedback with educational health videos can reduce mental fatigue and enhance short-term retention of risk information.