The McGill University Health Center (MUHC) needed a tool to effectively communicate with patients about a particular set of health conditions and the surgery needed to correct them.
These trainings would supplement direct communication with healthcare professionals to deliver information tailored to each user’s particular condition.
Background
McGill University Health Centre.
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a bilingual academic health network, and one of the largest and most modern in North America. The Research Institute of the MUHC is an international research powerhouse with a worldwide reputation in the field of biomedical sciences and health care. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, the MUHC cultivates an environment that allows students, postgraduate residents, and fellows to develop professionally while contributing to patient well-being.
Problem
Patient communication must be specific
Their current communication strategy relied only on conversations with doctors and with traditional print and web materials. These materials spoke generally about the surgical procedures which often led to flooding patients with information that wasn’t relevant to their specific case or condition. Patients and their families had different levels of knowledge around the surgery. Communication needed to cater to different needs such as language and complexity.
Solution
Interactive video that caters to individuals.
Interactive video portal that supports multiple languages. Rich analytics that allow doctors to measure how well patients and parents are comprehending materials. Mobile uploads allow doctors to seamlessly update training modules as new cases arise.
Results
Relieving the stress around surgery
Interactive video proved to be an ideal tool because it was able to react to the viewer’s choices and direct the conversation toward the information the viewer needed. The viewer can follow an interactive path based on specific criteria, such as whether the child is a boy or girl, what the specific condition in question is, or in what particular information the viewer is interested. The video combines explanations by MUHC staff with graphics and pictures that allow for better comprehension and ultimately take away some of the uncertainty and apprehension from these procedures.