HP EliteBook x360 and 3D multimedia education improve healthcare literacy and
patient outcomes1
“What I like about HP devices is they incorporate the latest
lightweight and innovative technologies for the mobile
workforce and workflows.”
– Dr. Benjamin Schooley, Associate Professor of Health Information Technology, Department
of Integrated Information Technology, College of Engineering and Computing, University of
South Carolina
The complexity of healthcare treatments can result in
challenging patient-provider communications and education.
When advanced medical information is explained in a 3D visual
and easy-to-follow format, clinicians observe improved patient
engagement. Using HP EliteBook x360s and Visual Health
Solutions’ Patient Nexus animated videos and 3D dissectible and
rotatable anatomical models, experts at the University of South
Carolina are conducting clinical research to validate the benefits
of multimedia education. Thus far, after use of the solution, 95%
of over one hundred surveyed patients have indicated they are
more likely to follow the directions of their physician. Their
study aims to improve physician efficiency and treatment
outcomes, and ultimately motivate patients to engage more
fully in their healthcare journey.
Industry
Healthcare
Objective
Measure the impact of mobile 3D multimedia
healthcare education on patient engagement in
clinical settings
Approach
Use of HP EliteBook x360s with Patient Nexus
animated content by physicians, health educators,
and case coordinators
IT matters
Convertible, thin design for seamless use in clinical
settings
Lightweight, innovative technologies well suited
for a mobile clinical workforce and workflows
Fast, versatile, and efficient performance to handle
3D animation and interactive content
Business matters
Improve health literacy and comprehension of
clinical consultations
Reduce patient anxiety and increase adherence
and attendance to treatment procedures
Enhance clinician efficiency and cost management
Encourage patients to more fully engage in their
healthcare journey
Dynamic 3D education for
improved patient outcomes
When complex medical information is
explained in a dynamic and easy-to-follow
format, patients get it. Compared to drawings
and text, multimedia education improves
comprehension, reduces anxiety, and
motivates patients to more fully engage in
their healthcare journeys.
That’s the hypothesis of medical and
technology leaders at the University of South
Carolina (USC) and its affiliate, Palmetto
Health. They’re ready to test the theory that
animated and engaging healthcare education
can improve patient outcomes, clinician
efficiency, and cost management.
“Our premise is that patients will get more
valuable education and take better care of
themselves after viewing animated videos
of their condition and treatment,” says Nick
Patel, M.D., physician and executive director
of clinical informatics, Palmetto Health-USC
Medical Group.
As an IT authority at Palmetto Health and
longtime HP Healthcare Advisory Council
member, Patel understands the union of
technology and medicine. The same is true for
his research partner, Benjamin Schooley, Ph.D.,
associate professor, College of Engineering
and Computing, USC, and the author of many
technology-focused patient education reports.
“A recent study of 3D-based education on
tablets in clinical settings generated positive
perceptions and acceptance of the format,”
says Schooley. “Another multimedia education
trial showed positive influence of adherence
and attendance to endoscopy procedures
when used just prior to the appointment.”
Now, the two are embarking on a new study;
this time in a more natural point-of-care
setting, administered by educators and case
coordinators in Patel’s internal medicine office.
This research brings the HP EliteBook x360—
a thin, convertible laptop—into exam rooms
to display Visual Health Solutions (VHS)
Patient Nexus 3D animated content.
Patient Nexus videos visually describe
conditions and procedures. Conditions like
diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are
increasingly common in South Carolina and
challenge local providers to change the way
they communicate with patients.
Challenge of 2D patient
education
Changing demographics are placing a
considerable strain on healthcare delivery
systems, not just in the southern U.S. but
across the nation. The Population Reference
Bureau states that today’s 46 million seniors,
65 and older, currently account for 15 percent
of the population. By 2060, this share rises to
24 percent2
and all will require treatment and
education throughout their healthcare journeys.
Across the nation, 88 percent of deaths in
2014 were due to chronic, non-communicable
diseases according to the World Health
Organization.3
Including cancer, cardiovascular,
and chronic respiratory diseases, this category
far outweighs infectious disease. Globally,
the United Nations estimates the cumulative
economic loss from chronic disease could
reach $47 trillion by 2030.4
This trend toward an aging population and
chronic disease is shifting clinician workflow
to ongoing and evolving care that requires
greater patient education than ever before.
Unfortunately, the complexity of today’s
healthcare treatments can lead to imperfect
patient-provider conversations and sometimes,
miscommunication. Furthermore, the patient
education challenge is magnified for the young,
elderly, and under-educated population.
“We always want patients to
increase their healthcare
literacy and be empowered to
make good decisions. We want
their care to be more accessible
and personalized, and for them
to ultimately realize a better
healthcare experience.”
Nick Patel, M.D., Physician and Executive Director
of Clinical Informatics, Palmetto Health-USC Medical
Group
Distribution of printed educational materials
to patients is a common requirement for
insurance reimbursement. Therefore, it is
widely upheld and tracked by physicians. This
behavior, however, does not lead to better
patient outcomes, according to Patel. “Our
current Cerner eHealth system has educational
information that we print and give to patients,”
says Patel. “But we’re finding the eight-to-tenpage content is consumed by only 20 percent of
patients and many times it ends up in the trash
on the way out of the clinic.”
Additionally, Patel observes that physicians
who need to effectively educate patients resort
to drawing on printed diagrams but receive no
compensation for this approach. “That’s where
we have a major disconnect as we’re getting
credit for something that is not providing a
patient benefit, and the insurer is not receiving
a good return on investment,” adds Patel. “It’s a
system of misaligned incentives.”
With previous indications that multimedia
patient education generates positive results,
Patel and Schooley aim to influence and
modify the healthcare delivery system—to
realign incentives through use of effective
multimedia patient education.
Innovative technologies to
improve delivery systems
To influence delivery systems, practitioners like
Patel and Schooley are working to prove the
superiority of 3D animation and multimedia
patient education using state-of-the-art
mobile devices. That’s what brings VHS and HP
innovation into the clinics at Palmetto Health.
“In our kickoff meeting, we demonstrated the
Patient Nexus animation on HP mobile PCs and
everybody loved it,” says Patel. “Now, we’ll test
this combination with patients and measure
the results against the efficacy baseline of text
and drawing education.”
The Palmetto Health team will use surveys
to measure the benefits of 2D content from
Healthwise point-of-care solutions and the 3D animated content in Patient Nexus videos. Staff
feedback will reveal clinical workflow and care
delivery improvements and help to leverage the
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare
Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey
instrument and data collection methodology.
“In addition to the surveys, we’ll be able to
see if they looked at the multimedia content,
how they’re consuming it, and for how long,”
says Patel. “We want to make sure what we’re
measuring is meaningful.”
Already, the Palmetto Health-USC Medical
Group is realizing benefits from its HP
relationship and the HP early adopter program
that aims to prove the efficacy of immersive
technology for increased patient engagement.
“We’re very surprised at how deep HP is
reaching into healthcare with industry-specific
PCs and monitors, 3D printing, and content
security, and even research on specific medical
treatments,” adds Patel. “I’ve not seen any
other vendor hit this level of commitment.”
“To conduct field studies on human-computer
interaction for patient education in a mobile
setting, I need high-quality hardware that has
the capabilities to facilitate this research,”
adds Schooley. “What I like about HP devices
is they incorporate the latest lightweight
and innovative technologies for the mobile
workforce and workflows.”
The team is impressed by the Patient Nexus
content designed for clinics, hospitals, and
cloud-based remote access before or after a
medical procedure. They have found its visual
approach with animation and diagrams to be
extremely engaging and effective at promoting
healthcare literacy.
“The 3D modeling of anatomy allows a physician
or social worker to have better dialogs with
patients, especially when using a touch-enabled
tablet, drawing with a pen, or zooming into a
diagram,” says Patel. “That’s true education.”
The HP EliteBook x360 thin, convertible PC
combined with Patient Nexus animation
provide a tool for patients to take ownership
of their health. This includes the ongoing
management of the small but impactful daily
activities that result in preventative care and
patient well-being.
“Education is extremely important because
if you need patients to participate in their
treatment, they’re more likely to do it if
they understand what you’re asking and the
consequences if they don’t,” adds Patel.
Patient empowerment and
healthcare literacy
“Previous studies in more controlled
environments showed patients want relevant
information at the point of care when they’re
already focused on their health. So, it will be
interesting to observe their interaction with this
content in a more natural setting,” says Schooley.
Unfortunately, physicians don’t have much
time to sit down with a patient and watch
an eight-minute video. But with engaging
content, educators and care coordinators can
step in and take some of that responsibility.
Furthermore, patients can consume the
visual information on their own, turning the
45-minute average time spent in waiting
rooms into a constructive learning episode.
In addition, push notifications of relevant, cloudbased education will provide patients with
skills to better manage their health when and
where they need. This will go a long way toward
improving the healthcare delivery system.
“During breast cancer awareness week, we can
send a message to ‘click here’ and schedule
a mammogram or watch a video,” says Patel.
“Or for smokers, we can ask if they’ve reached
their daily goal to cut back on cigarettes.”
Animated video on mobile devices can help
with pre-operative informed consent and other industry compliance requirements. Content can
extend to those taking care of patients at home.
“As a care coordinator, I get a lot of calls from
families who want education,” adds Carol
Waters, clinical social worker, Palmetto HealthUSC Medical Group. “With this solution, they can
get the same information and better help the
patient, even if they’re not able to attend a visit.”
All involved in this research agree that a joint
understanding of the diagnosis and treatment
can lead to better patient engagement. And
they all believe 3D animated education on
state-of-the-art mobile devices can improve
patient outcomes and help reinvent this
component of the healthcare delivery system.
“We always want patients to increase their
healthcare literacy and be empowered to make
good decisions,” states Patel. “We want their
care to be more accessible and personalized,
and ultimately realize a better healthcare
experience.” There is no question that this
benefits everyone.
Survey Results
Before the study commenced, staff used paper
brochures as the primary means of educating
patients 100 percent of the time. The staff felt
most age groups could benefit from digital
multimedia education content. Heart disease,
diabetes, and hypertension were the diagnoses
for which multimedia content was most helpful.
Preliminary results indicate ninety-five percent
(95%) of the patients felt the multimedia patient
education content provided by the educator on
a mobile device was helpful.
Sixty-five percent (65%) of the patients felt
the content allowed them to feel much more
capable of making medical decisions together
with their physician and about the same
percentage felt it allowed them to take much
better care of themselves at home. Another
thirty-five percent (35%) felt that it somewhat
helped. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the patients
felt that they were more likely to follow the
directions of the physician.
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