The effectiveness of videotapes in communicating information to rural physiotherapists

This study investigated the effectiveness of videotaped versus written discharge summaries in communicating patient information to rural physiotherapists. Twenty-seven rural Manitoba physiotherapists were randomly divided into two groups and tested after viewing videotapes and reading written summaries on four patients with neurological conditions. Group I saw the videotapes on the four patients first, then answered multiple choice questions regarding the patients' problems, goals and treatment for physiotherapy. Group II read the written reports first, then answered the same questions. The process was then repeated in reverse order. A statistically significant difference existed between Group I's videotape scores and Group II's written summary scores (t = 4.69, 25 d.f., p = 0.002, 1-tailed unpaired t test). There was no significant difference between Group I and Group II's videotapes score. A rating scale of the videotapes by the physiotherapists strongly supported videotaped communication. This study has relevance to those who need to communicate patient information to health care workers in distant locales.