Hank the Heart and Animation-Based Education for Pulmonary Hypertension

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Medical Education
• Health Literacy

Background:

• Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare, complex condition impacting children and adults.
• Effective health education is crucial for patient and caregiver decision-making.
• Understanding patient and family perceptions of educational tools is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient and family perceptions of the "Hank the Heart" animation for health literacy.
• To identify preferred learning methods for future pediatric pulmonary hypertension education.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study utilizing focus groups with patients and family caregivers.
• Inductive thematic analysis of focus group and interview transcripts.

Main Results:

• The "Hank the Heart" animation was perceived as helpful but not comprehensive for educational needs.
• Patients and families strongly identified with the animated character and its representation of their experiences.
• A need for personalized, ongoing, and tailored patient and family education was identified.

Conclusions:

• Animation videos are a well-received educational modality for pediatric pulmonary hypertension.
• Patient and family feedback provides valuable insights for improving future educational animation development.
• Tailored, patient-centered education is essential for addressing complex health and learning needs.