Videos improve patient understanding of misunderstood chemotherapy terminology

Abstract

Background Chemotherapy is the backbone of many cancer therapies; however, the terminology used to describe chemotherapy may be difficult for patients to understand, particularly in underserved populations. Studies have shown that educational videos can improve patient understanding of cancer‐related terms. The goal of this study was to identify chemotherapy terms that were difficult for an underserved population to understand and then develop and test educational videos describing these terms. Methods A word bank of 50 difficult‐to‐understand chemotherapy terms was developed by querying 15 providers and 50 patients at an underserved hospital. Twenty of these terms were then tested with 50 additional patients to determine rates of misunderstanding. Six pilot educational videos describing 6 important terms were created using VideoScribe and then assessed with 50 patients to see if they improved understanding. Results Fifteen of the 20 terms tested to establish rates of misunderstanding were misunderstood by more than one third of patients, with 98% unable to define maintenance, 74% unable to define cancer, and 58% unable to define chemotherapy. Patient understanding of all 6 terms improved by at least 20% after watching the videos. Notable improvement was reported for palliative chemotherapy, where before‐and‐after video understanding increased from 0% to 72%. Conclusion Chemotherapy, a backbone of cancer treatment, is described with terms that are difficult to understand. Short, animated educational videos can significantly increase patient understanding of chemotherapy terminology.

Improving care for cancer survivors

“…He and his colleagues have investigated ways to improve education among patients with cancer. Working with Rebecca Pentz, PhD, a professor of hematology and oncology in research ethics at Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Master recently published an article in Cancer about their success with using 1‐minute videos to explain chemotherapy terms commonly used by physicians.…”

Improving chemotherapy consent in underserved patients

“…The intent of the quality standards for informed consent was “to assure that the patient understands the purpose, benefits, risks and alternatives to all treatment options before deciding to accept or refuse treatment.” In this issue of Cancer , the article by Pentz et al casts fresh light on how difficult it is to achieve informed consent ideals in underserved patients. Using mixed methodologies, the researchers identified a set of crucial medical terms used in the consent for chemotherapy that were not well understood by patients at an underserved hospital.…”

“…Other terms that were misinterpreted by at least 20% of patients included fatigue , side effects , stage , biopsy , and transfusion . Based on these findings, an expert panel subsequently narrowed the 20 terms down to the 6 terms used in the videos …”

“…There may be shared terms between the 2 languages, but some words take on a different significance in a medical context. The researchers use the examples of stage and maintenance as words that take on new meanings in the context of cancer chemotherapy . Whereas chemotherapy terms are clear to us, they remain opaque and inaccessible to our patients—we need to remember to translate.…”

“…The successful use of videos can augment the consent process without placing additional burdens on providers. We can meet patients' needs without adding to providers' workloads …”