Video strategies improved health professional knowledge across different contexts: a helix counterbalanced randomized...

This study aimed to apply a novel helix counterbalanced randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the effectiveness of video vs. written knowledge translation strategies for improving health professional knowledge of evidence provided in scientific journal articles.

A Helix counterbalanced randomized controlled trial was used to compare the impact of delivering research information via video or written modalities compared to a no-information control across three health contexts. Interventions were delivered and data collected via an online survey to nursing and allied health professionals across five hospitals within a public health service in Melbourne, Australia. A knowledge test measuring alignment between respondent perceived benefit of the intervention and conclusions listed in the journal article was the primary outcome.

There were 119 participants recruited with n = 13 incomplete responses. Exposure to the video increased the likelihood of a knowledge test response that was aligned with the research evidence compared to the no-information control (OR 2.61; 95% CI 1.40, 4.89; P = 0.003), but this was not the case for exposure to the written modality (OR 1.39; 95% CI 0.75, 2.57; P = 0.294).

Providing video knowledge translation strategies to nursing and allied health professionals increases the likelihood they will understand the main findings from scientific journal articles.