Utility and Acceptability of a Brief Type 2 Diabetes Visual Animation: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Psychology
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Visualizations are promising for altering illness perceptions and improving health outcomes.
• Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patient education has not yet incorporated these visualization techniques.
• Unhelpful perceptions can negatively impact health outcomes in T2DM patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the cross-cultural acceptability and effectiveness of a T2DM visual animation.
• To evaluate changes in illness/treatment perceptions and self-efficacy among patients and family members.
• To explore healthcare professionals' views on using visualizations for T2DM education.

Main Methods:

• A 7-minute T2DM visual animation was presented to 52 participants (patients, family members, healthcare professionals).
• Quantitative data on perceptions and self-efficacy were collected pre- and post-intervention.
• Qualitative data were gathered through interviews and open-ended questions for thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Participants found the visual animation acceptable and engaging across both New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.
• Effect sizes indicated potential improvements in illness/treatment perceptions and self-efficacy.
• The animation was identified as an effective format for delivering health information.

Conclusions:

• Visualizations are well-accepted and can rapidly enhance diabetes-related perceptions.
• This brief T2DM animation holds potential for improving patient education strategies.
• A randomized controlled trial is planned to further investigate clinical outcomes.