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Finding the key to achieving an educated patient

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Lawrence H. Bloom
Lawrence H. Bloom

The issue of patient education has always been an important one to my practice. Educated patients are more likely to comply with prescribed regimens, achieving better outcomes and, as a consequence, tending to be more satisfied with their overall medical treatment. However, proper patient education often takes significant chair time. Without proper tools it can be difficult for patients to understand abstract concepts or complex anatomic descriptions.

Animated visuals

The LUMA software system (Eyemaginations) is an innovative forum for patient education that uses 3-D animated visuals and an interactive user interface to explain complex medical processes to patients in an engaging manner. It can be used in the exam room, applying draw-over-video technology and zoom features to clearly show patients how disease progression will affect their daily lives. It can be used during the consultation to highlight features and benefits of certain procedures or products, matching the patient’s lifestyle with the appropriate course of treatment. It can also be used in the waiting room, educating otherwise idle patients about different disease states and treatment options.

My office has benefitted enormously from dedicated patient education technology. We use it for all ocular disease conditions. For example, when new patients are referred to the practice with cataracts, macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, I can have my staff play specific animations with narratives that pertain to that condition. These can be shown to patients in the exam chair prior to my coming in or after dilation. By the time I get to see the patients, they have already seen a pictorial explanation showing the anatomy of their condition. We can therefore move on to more specific questions that will help them understand the disease and treatment options in greater depth.

If a patient comes in for an emergency exam due to flashes and floaters, I have to decide whether that patient has any significant retinal complications. Describing the anatomy of a posterior vitreous detachment can take a considerable amount of time. However, if we have already shown the patient the educational content on the subject in advance, the ensuing discussion is taken to a higher level, with a resulting clearer understanding by both patients and their families.

The ‘wow’ factor

The same exists with macular degeneration. If a patient needs to be started on supplements or see our retina specialist, it is much easier for the patient to understand after viewing the animation that explains the disease process. When I come into the room, I access the draw-over-video technology in the exam advisor to emphasize specific items. This creates a big “wow” factor for patients because it shows that we are technologically savvy while at the same time making it easier for them to understand their disease.

If a patient comes in with a corneal abrasion, I can pull up a picture of the cornea in the exam advisor and write on the touch screen, showing patients where their corneal abrasion is. The same is true with a stye. I can show an image of the lid and then draw on the screen to show how the blockage leads to the stye. LUMA has the ability to show the normal anatomy alongside the progressing disease, easily demonstrating how it changes over time.

Disease progression visualization

Another important feature is to show the disease progression from the point of view of the patient. For example, for a patient with cataracts, advanced images can show what the patient theoretically sees when trying to read or drive a car at night with untreated cataracts. We can then show the different treatment options. Should a patient have glaucoma, not only can the physician pull up a picture of a cross-section of the optic nerve, but also show the progression of optic nerve damage. This can be followed by an explanation of the different tests that a physician may choose to do. Animated educational content can show what an optical coherence tomography, visual field or other exam is like and why it is needed. When I see patients, all of this information is already fresh in their minds, and they are much more comfortable with the testing because they have a better understanding of what we are planning and why.

Diseases of the eye are particularly difficult for patients to understand because there is often no physical manifestation from the outside. Animated educational content allows me to document what we have gone over. I can note in patients’ charts that they have viewed specific content, making it unlikely that they will later say that we never talked with them about a specific disease or treatment. I can now perform the informed consent portion of my patients’ visits in a more efficient manner and be confident that they have a much better understanding of the procedure and risk-to-benefit ratio.

Web access

Another unique feature of my patient education system is that patients can access these informational animations on my website. When patients call in with a certain symptom or question, my staff can direct them to my website where they can watch the video before visiting the office. This is particularly helpful for family members of elderly patients who may not be able to come to the appointment but need to be involved with treatment decisions.

As a comprehensive ophthalmology practice, we see the whole spectrum of diseases and perform a variety of procedures. It is important on so many levels for patients to truly understand their own medical care. LUMA provides a level of patient education that would be impossible to reach without such advanced technology. My patients are better informed, more compliant with therapies and, therefore, more satisfied overall with their medical experiences. As a physician, I am able to use my time more efficiently within the office while at the same time enhancing my practice’s reputation and strengthening our referral base.              

Lawrence H. Bloom, MD, can be reached at Bloom Eye Associates, 525 Jamestown Ave., Suite 207, Philadelphia, PA 19128; 215-483-8444; email: lh.bloom@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Dr. Bloom has no relevant financial disclosures.


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