Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026
Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Visualization in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer
Published on: June 9, 2023
Impact of Multimedia on Patient Comprehension in Thyroid Surgery: A Randomized Trial
Hani Samarah1, Annie E Moroco1, Kalena Liu1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Objective:
To assess whether the Thyroid Informed Surgical Consent Augmenting Video (TISCAV) improves knowledge retention, reduces decisional conflict, alleviates anxiety, and enhances satisfaction in thyroidectomy decision-making compared to standard verbal consent.
Study Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Academic tertiary care center with urban outpatient and community-based clinics.
Methods:
Forty-nine English-speaking adults scheduled for thyroid surgery were randomized to receive either standard verbal consent alone (control) or TISCAV followed by standard consent (intervention). Forty-three completed preoperative assessments and were included in the analysis. Knowledge was assessed before and after consent. Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety (VAS-A), Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), and Satisfaction with Decision Scale (SDS) were measured preoperatively; SDS, Decision Regret Scale (DRS), and anxiety were reassessed at 22 and 100 days postoperatively.
Results:
Both groups demonstrated significant knowledge gains post-consent (P < .0001), with no significant difference between groups (P = .1812). Patients with malignant/suspicious cytopathology had lower decisional conflict than those with benign findings (P = .03); scores in indeterminate cases trended similarly (P = .11). Among patients with indeterminate cytopathology, decisional conflict did not differ significantly (P = .06), while preoperative satisfaction was lower in the video group (P = .02); group differences resolved postoperatively (P ≥ .55).
Conclusion:
TISCAV and standard consent both improved knowledge acquisition. While video-based consent may transiently increase decisional conflict and reduce satisfaction among patients with indeterminate pathology, these effects did not persist postoperatively. Video tools may serve as a safe and accessible adjunct to verbal consent.
