The effects of multimedia education tools on patients' health knowledge.
Kathryn Jack, Ultan Allen, Philippa Matthews and 4 others
PMID 41451806WHAT IT FOUND
Eleven of 15 studies found multimedia patient education increased knowledge, but four did not show clear benefit and no study measured long-term clinical outcomes.
Key findings
01Eleven of 15 included studies reported that multimedia education increased patients' knowledge and understanding.
02Pre-procedural studies showed increased knowledge in 9 of 10 studies, while long-term condition management studies showed it in 2 of 5 studies.
03No included study assessed long-term engagement in clinical services or health outcomes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review could not combine the study results in a meta-analysis because the included studies differed in design, intervention content, duration, outcome measures and timing of assessment. Seven of the 15 included studies were underpowered or had sample size or recruitment problems, so some null results may have missed a real effect. The interventions varied widely, and many were not available for readers to view, so it is unclear which multimedia style works best. Only 3 studies assessed health literacy, and only 1 study focused on a non-native language population, so the review says little about many underserved groups. No included study measured long-term engagement in clinical services or health outcomes, so knowledge gains may not translate into better care. The search was limited to English publications in three databases from January 2014 to February 2024, so relevant earlier or non-English studies may have been missed.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that multimedia patient education improves long-term health outcomes or keeps patients engaged in services. It increased short-term knowledge in most included studies, but no study measured long-term engagement or health outcomes.