Video Consent for Upper Endoscopy and Colonoscopy Improves Patient Comprehension in a Safety-net, Multi-lingual...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Education
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Informed consent is crucial but challenging for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).
• Existing research on video consent in gastroenterology is limited.
• Standardized video consent may address communication barriers in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of educational videos in improving patient comprehension and satisfaction for endoscopic procedures.
• To evaluate video consent as a tool for patients with LEP undergoing colonoscopy and upper endoscopy.

Main Methods:

• Developed educational videos in English and Spanish detailing consent elements for colonoscopy and upper endoscopy.
• Administered traditional verbal consent to all participants.
• A subset of participants viewed the language- and procedure-specific video.
• Assessed comprehension and satisfaction using questionnaires in a multilingual, safety-net hospital population.

Main Results:

• Participants who viewed the video demonstrated significantly higher comprehension scores compared to those receiving only verbal consent.
• This improvement in comprehension was consistent across different languages and procedures.
• The benefits of video consent remained evident even after controlling for educational level and prior procedural experience.

Conclusions:

• Video consent enhances understanding and satisfaction for gastroenterological endoscopic procedures.
• This approach can effectively mitigate consent challenges for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).
• Implementing video consent may improve patient safety and adherence in diverse patient populations.