New Modules & Updates
The Patient Education Institute has published, reviewed or updated 122 titles in Q2 and Q3 2022. We provide each topic in 5 instructional formats (tutorial, video, illustrated handout, XML, and overview).
Acne (Spanish)
Advance Medical Directives
Advance Medical Directives (Spanish)
Anal and Rectal Diseases and Problems (Arabic)
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion - General
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion - General (Spanish)
Aspergillosis
Asthma
Asthma (Arabic)
Asthma (Spanish)
Atrial Flutter
Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders (Arabic)
Bile Duct Diseases and Problems (Arabic)
Birth Control - Emergency Contraception (Arabic)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Bolus Tube Feeding
Bolus Tube Feeding (Spanish)
Brain Cancer (Spanish)
Breast Changes and Diseases (Arabic)
Breast Reduction
Cervical Cancer
Cervical Cancer (Arabic)
Childhood Immunizations
Childhood Immunizations (Arabic)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Arabic)
Colon Cancer
Common Cold (Arabic)
Coumadin - Introduction for New Users (Spanish)
Dilation and Curettage
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare (Spanish)
Edema (Arabic)
Emphysema (Arabic)
Erectile Dysfunction - Your Choices (Spanish)
Fainting - Syncope
Financial Wellness
Gallbladder Cancer (Arabic)
GERD (Spanish)
Gestational Hypertension (Spanish)
Gout
Heel Injuries and Disorders
Hepatitis C (Spanish)
Herpes Simplex Virus
Hip Replacement - Physical Therapy
Hip Replacement - Physical Therapy (Arabic)
Hip Replacement - Physical Therapy (Spanish)
Hospitalized COVID Patient - What to Expect
How to Prevent Cancer - Early Screening (Spanish)
How to Prevent Cancer - Healthy Life Habits (Spanish)
Hypothermia
Incision Care
Incision Care (Arabic)
Incision Care (Spanish)
Infant and Newborn Nutrition (Arabic)
Infant CPR (Spanish)
Intestinal Cancer
Introduction to Tube Feeding
Introduction to Tube Feeding (Spanish)
Isotretinoin
Kidney Cancer (Arabic)
Kidney Stones (Spanish)
Knee Replacement - Physical Therapy (Arabic)
Leukemia - Pediatrics
Lewy Body Disease
Life Planning
Life Planning (Spanish)
Liposuction (Spanish)
Liver Diseases (Arabic)
Lovenox - Pediatrics
Lovenox - Pediatrics (Spanish)
Lumbar and Thoracic Fusion - Posterior
Lumbar and Thoracic Fusion - Posterior (Spanish)
Lumbar and/or Thoracic Fusion - Cages
Lumbar and/or Thoracic Fusion - Cages (Spanish)
Lung Cancer
Lung Transplantation
Measles
Men's Health
Mesothelioma
Miscarriage
Obesity in Children (Arabic)
Ovarian Cancer (Spanish)
Pancreatic Cancer (Spanish)
Parkinson's Disease (Spanish)
Penis Disorders
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy - PEG
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy - PEG (Spanish)
Peroneal Nerve Release
Positional Plagiocephaly
Postpartum Care (Arabic)
Premature Ejaculation
Prenatal Testing
Preventing HIV and AIDS (Spanish)
Preventing Infections - Hand Washing
Preventing Infections - Hand Washing (Spanish)
Preventing Lead Poisoning (Spanish)
Puberty (Arabic)
Rabies (Arabic)
Sarcoidosis (Spanish)
SCAD (Spanish)
Skin Cancer - Non-Melanoma
Stroke: What You Should Know (Spanish)
Throat Cancer
Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy - Pediatrics
Tracheostomy Care at Home
Tracheostomy Care at Home (Spanish)
Tracheostomy Care in the Hospital
Tracheostomy Care in the Hospital (Spanish)
Tracheotomy or Tracheostomy
Tracheotomy or Tracheostomy (Spanish)
Tube Feeding using a Joey Pump
Tube Feeding using a Joey Pump (Spanish)
Twin Gestation (Arabic)
Understanding the Different Types of Myelodysplastic Syndromes - MDS
Urinary Tract Infections (Arabic)
Vaginal Bleeding (Arabic)
Vasectomy
Vasectomy (Spanish)
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia - VAP
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia - VAP (Arabic)
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia - VAP (Spanish)
Vitamin A (Arabic)
Acne (Spanish)
Advance Medical Directives
Advance Medical Directives (Spanish)
Anal and Rectal Diseases and Problems (Arabic)
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion - General
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion - General (Spanish)
Aspergillosis
Asthma
Asthma (Arabic)
Asthma (Spanish)
Atrial Flutter
Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders (Arabic)
Bile Duct Diseases and Problems (Arabic)
Birth Control - Emergency Contraception (Arabic)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Bolus Tube Feeding
Bolus Tube Feeding (Spanish)
Brain Cancer (Spanish)
Breast Changes and Diseases (Arabic)
Breast Reduction
Cervical Cancer
Cervical Cancer (Arabic)
Childhood Immunizations
Childhood Immunizations (Arabic)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Arabic)
Colon Cancer
Common Cold (Arabic)
Coumadin - Introduction for New Users (Spanish)
Dilation and Curettage
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare (Spanish)
Edema (Arabic)
Emphysema (Arabic)
Erectile Dysfunction - Your Choices (Spanish)
Fainting - Syncope
Financial Wellness
Gallbladder Cancer (Arabic)
GERD (Spanish)
Gestational Hypertension (Spanish)
Gout
Heel Injuries and Disorders
Hepatitis C (Spanish)
Herpes Simplex Virus
Hip Replacement - Physical Therapy
Hip Replacement - Physical Therapy (Arabic)
Hip Replacement - Physical Therapy (Spanish)
Hospitalized COVID Patient - What to Expect
How to Prevent Cancer - Early Screening (Spanish)
How to Prevent Cancer - Healthy Life Habits (Spanish)
Hypothermia
Incision Care
Incision Care (Arabic)
Incision Care (Spanish)
Infant and Newborn Nutrition (Arabic)
Infant CPR (Spanish)
Intestinal Cancer
Introduction to Tube Feeding
Introduction to Tube Feeding (Spanish)
Isotretinoin
Kidney Cancer (Arabic)
Kidney Stones (Spanish)
Knee Replacement - Physical Therapy (Arabic)
Leukemia - Pediatrics
Lewy Body Disease
Life Planning
Life Planning (Spanish)
Liposuction (Spanish)
Liver Diseases (Arabic)
Lovenox - Pediatrics
Lovenox - Pediatrics (Spanish)
Lumbar and Thoracic Fusion - Posterior
Lumbar and Thoracic Fusion - Posterior (Spanish)
Lumbar and/or Thoracic Fusion - Cages
Lumbar and/or Thoracic Fusion - Cages (Spanish)
Lung Cancer
Lung Transplantation
Measles
Men's Health
Mesothelioma
Miscarriage
Obesity in Children (Arabic)
Ovarian Cancer (Spanish)
Pancreatic Cancer (Spanish)
Parkinson's Disease (Spanish)
Penis Disorders
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy - PEG
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy - PEG (Spanish)
Peroneal Nerve Release
Positional Plagiocephaly
Postpartum Care (Arabic)
Premature Ejaculation
Prenatal Testing
Preventing HIV and AIDS (Spanish)
Preventing Infections - Hand Washing
Preventing Infections - Hand Washing (Spanish)
Preventing Lead Poisoning (Spanish)
Puberty (Arabic)
Rabies (Arabic)
Sarcoidosis (Spanish)
SCAD (Spanish)
Skin Cancer - Non-Melanoma
Stroke: What You Should Know (Spanish)
Throat Cancer
Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy - Pediatrics
Tracheostomy Care at Home
Tracheostomy Care at Home (Spanish)
Tracheostomy Care in the Hospital
Tracheostomy Care in the Hospital (Spanish)
Tracheotomy or Tracheostomy
Tracheotomy or Tracheostomy (Spanish)
Tube Feeding using a Joey Pump
Tube Feeding using a Joey Pump (Spanish)
Twin Gestation (Arabic)
Understanding the Different Types of Myelodysplastic Syndromes - MDS
Urinary Tract Infections (Arabic)
Vaginal Bleeding (Arabic)
Vasectomy
Vasectomy (Spanish)
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia - VAP
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia - VAP (Arabic)
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia - VAP (Spanish)
Vitamin A (Arabic)
Patient Education and Multimedia
Research continues to provide evidence of the effectiveness of multimedia in e-learning and patient education. The Association of Psychological Sciences lists multimedia as one of the most well-established principles of e-learning. This article reviews the effects of graphics and how the X-Plain® patient education tutorials employ them. (We list some references for readers interested in evaluating patient engagement initiatives; for a more exhaustive bibliography of patient education research, check our research page.)
There is consistent evidence that people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone (Mayer, 1989b; Mayer & Anderson, 1991, 1992; Mayer, Bove, Bryman, Mars, & Tapangco, 1996; Mayer & Gallini, 1990; Moreno & Mayer, 1999, 2022). In eleven studies, learners who received a multimedia lesson comprising words and pictures performed better on subsequent tests than learners who received the same information in words alone (a median effect size of 1.50.) Multimedia presentations encourage learners to engage in active learning by making connections between pictorial and verbal representations. Active learning leads to better comprehension, memorization, and compliance with patient home instructions. In contrast, presenting words alone leads to shallow understanding without an effective connection of the text to pre-existing knowledge (Hakel 2007; Pashler, Bain, Bottage, Graesser, Koedinger, McDaniel, & Metcalfe, 2007).
X-Plain interactive tutorials are multimedia presentations that summarize a health education topic in about fifty slides, each presenting the text with its related graphics and full narration. Graphics can be anatomical illustrations, procedural diagrams, content charts, relational diagrams (such as genetic diagrams), and demonstrative graphics showing actions expected from the patient (eg, calling doctors, walking, taking medicine). Click on “Interactive Tutorial” in this link for a demo.
Research studies show that simpler graphics lead to better learning than photographs or complex 3D visuals (Butcher, 2016; Mayer, 1993; Mayer, Sims, & Tajika, 1995). X-Plain uses line illustrations in its tutorials. Using 3D images, photographs, or animations adds details that distract learners, particularly beginners, because of cognitive load (Betrancourt, 2005; Hegarty, Kriz, & Cate, 2003; Mayer, Hegarty, Mayer, & Campbell, 2005; Tversky, Morrison, & Betrancourt, 2002). X-Plain uses animations only when it helps illustrate a necessary concept, such as physical therapy exercise, operating a medical tool, spinal fluid flow, blood circulation, and Mendelian genetic diagrams.
Considering the logical and empirical evidence of the effectiveness of graphics in education and training, one wonders why the use of multimedia in patient education is not more predominant. The answer is cost. Including illustrations, diagrams, animations, and videos significantly increases the price of developing and updating patient education materials. The X-Plain multimedia library, which grew over 27 years to include over 9,000 illustrations and animations in over 2,500 tutorials in several languages, is about twice the price of alternative text-only materials. Besides interactive multimedia tutorials, the X-Plain Encyclopedia includes videos and illustrated handouts to meet patients’ preferences. Our clients use X-Plain in a variety of approaches. Our most common solutions include tablets in clinics and at the bedside, content for EMRs and patient portals, content on PCs, and videos for smart-TVs. Our solutions offer easy implementation with minimal staff-time requirements; prescription of patient education, which allows patients to complete assigned materials outside clinical settings; and documentation of completion and understanding.
If you are new to X-Plain and want to investigate the effectiveness of new patient education models, contact us to explore interactive patient education.
Moe A. Ajam, Ph.D. Director Patient Education Institute
(In our next newsletter, we will discuss research on the use of interactive questions, narration, and self-paced learning, and how X-Plain tutorials implement them to further patient satisfaction, comprehension, and compliance.)
There is consistent evidence that people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone (Mayer, 1989b; Mayer & Anderson, 1991, 1992; Mayer, Bove, Bryman, Mars, & Tapangco, 1996; Mayer & Gallini, 1990; Moreno & Mayer, 1999, 2022). In eleven studies, learners who received a multimedia lesson comprising words and pictures performed better on subsequent tests than learners who received the same information in words alone (a median effect size of 1.50.) Multimedia presentations encourage learners to engage in active learning by making connections between pictorial and verbal representations. Active learning leads to better comprehension, memorization, and compliance with patient home instructions. In contrast, presenting words alone leads to shallow understanding without an effective connection of the text to pre-existing knowledge (Hakel 2007; Pashler, Bain, Bottage, Graesser, Koedinger, McDaniel, & Metcalfe, 2007).
X-Plain interactive tutorials are multimedia presentations that summarize a health education topic in about fifty slides, each presenting the text with its related graphics and full narration. Graphics can be anatomical illustrations, procedural diagrams, content charts, relational diagrams (such as genetic diagrams), and demonstrative graphics showing actions expected from the patient (eg, calling doctors, walking, taking medicine). Click on “Interactive Tutorial” in this link for a demo.
Research studies show that simpler graphics lead to better learning than photographs or complex 3D visuals (Butcher, 2016; Mayer, 1993; Mayer, Sims, & Tajika, 1995). X-Plain uses line illustrations in its tutorials. Using 3D images, photographs, or animations adds details that distract learners, particularly beginners, because of cognitive load (Betrancourt, 2005; Hegarty, Kriz, & Cate, 2003; Mayer, Hegarty, Mayer, & Campbell, 2005; Tversky, Morrison, & Betrancourt, 2002). X-Plain uses animations only when it helps illustrate a necessary concept, such as physical therapy exercise, operating a medical tool, spinal fluid flow, blood circulation, and Mendelian genetic diagrams.
Considering the logical and empirical evidence of the effectiveness of graphics in education and training, one wonders why the use of multimedia in patient education is not more predominant. The answer is cost. Including illustrations, diagrams, animations, and videos significantly increases the price of developing and updating patient education materials. The X-Plain multimedia library, which grew over 27 years to include over 9,000 illustrations and animations in over 2,500 tutorials in several languages, is about twice the price of alternative text-only materials. Besides interactive multimedia tutorials, the X-Plain Encyclopedia includes videos and illustrated handouts to meet patients’ preferences. Our clients use X-Plain in a variety of approaches. Our most common solutions include tablets in clinics and at the bedside, content for EMRs and patient portals, content on PCs, and videos for smart-TVs. Our solutions offer easy implementation with minimal staff-time requirements; prescription of patient education, which allows patients to complete assigned materials outside clinical settings; and documentation of completion and understanding.
If you are new to X-Plain and want to investigate the effectiveness of new patient education models, contact us to explore interactive patient education.
Moe A. Ajam, Ph.D. Director Patient Education Institute
(In our next newsletter, we will discuss research on the use of interactive questions, narration, and self-paced learning, and how X-Plain tutorials implement them to further patient satisfaction, comprehension, and compliance.)
Break the trend
Challenge those around you to break the trend of decreased exercise during the holidays. Here are some suggestions and resources to provide for your patients, community, and co-workers.
Exercising for a Healthy Life
Exercise for Seniors
Exercise for Children
Exercise
- Set up challenges among groups to hit 10,000 steps per day
- Offer to find workout buddies for patients
- Provide suggestions on pedometers or tracking devices
- Provide age-specific exercises for patients
Exercising for a Healthy Life
Exercise for Seniors
Exercise for Children
Exercise
