In today’s technological landscape, it’s rare to find someone who doesn’t have a smartphone. Gone are the days of television being the only source of video content—now, nearly everyone has a pocket-sized computer where they can stream hours of content on-demand. From video recipes to news stories to healthcare education, your patients expect to find what they need online.

Why are videos useful?

Healthcare is arguably one of the most jargon-heavy industries. It can be overwhelming for patients to retain all the information and instructions related to treatment. Yet, patient understanding of all the necessary information is crucial to the success and positive outcome of any surgery.

Educational videos are simple tools where you can quickly and effectively communicate information in great detail. In a two-minute video, you can review all pre-op or post-op instructions specific to a patient’s individual surgery. And patients don’t have to frantically take notes, because they can watch these videos as many times as they may need to retain all the necessary information.

Improve your patient engagement

Patient experience scores boil down to how well you meet or exceed a patient’s expectations. When patients expect video content, you need to meet this demand. Patient videos have been shown to increase engagement by promoting active patient participation in treatment plans. You can also schedule videos to be sent strategically so that patients receive them at the necessary point in their treatment, minimizing the risk that patients will forget instructions in between the surgery center and their return home.

Save clinical time

A significant benefit of patient videos is improved efficiency for your clinicians. Pre-op and post-op video instructions can save physicians time on individual counseling. And while post-op phone calls are still a crucial measure for maintaining quality and outcomes, these calls are likely to be more efficient when patients already have a clear understanding of their post-op instructions.

Improve outcomes

The success of any treatment plan depends on a patient’s ability to adhere to it. Surgery centers need to arm patients with every available resource to help them remember their post-op instructions. Videos could cover areas such as proper wound care, how to lie down and get up after a joint replacement, or how to perform physical therapy exercises. When patients are armed with all that they need to know, the direct result is improved outcomes—which make both you and your patients happy.

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