Smart Patients Guide to Creating Patient Education Videos That Truly Engage
When good intentions fall short
Often, we get to see pharma’s significant investment in patient education initiatives. It starts with partnering with specialized vendors who carefully select external experts, craft the right messages, and sometimes even bring in high-end production teams. It's a well-intentioned and often well-funded endeavor. Yet, despite best efforts, the output falls short of truly engaging the target audience - the patients.
Consider this feedback from Smart Patients’ community members on a recent patient educational video:
“The information is good and necessary, but I cannot imagine sitting through it if I didn’t absolutely have to. This is not engaging.”
“It lacked warmth and engagement, eye contact, and directness.”
“I’m hesitant to post this because I very much appreciate what you’re trying to do... but it’s just not an interesting or engaging presentation.”
This brutally honest feedback highlights a critical gap between pharma’s education intentions and patient expectations. It's a wake-up call for the industry to reassess the approach to patient education.
The Opportunity: Reimagining Patient Education
Reimagining Patient Education
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Healthcare providers and researchers widely recognize that actively involving patients in their care leads to better health outcomes. When patients feel heard and included in decision-making, they are more likely to adhere to treatment plans and take proactive steps to manage their health. 1,2
This principle should serve as the cornerstone of our patient education strategy. Drawing from the collective wisdom of the Smart Patients community, here are key recommendations to transform and evolve patient education:
Patient-centered communication: Move beyond mere information dumps. Instead, engage patients in the story of care experiences, making the content relatable and meaningful. Approach each educational piece as if you're having a one-on-one conversation, connecting emotionally and personally with your audience.
Cultural sensitivity: Address the unique needs and concerns of diverse populations. Cultural competence goes beyond representation - it's about understanding and addressing the diversity of health values and perspectives, with the aim of improving health equity.
Empowerment through education: Don't just list options; explain the 'why' behind treatments and therapeutic recommendations. Empower patients with actionable insights and information that boost their confidence and competence in decision-making.
Attention to detail: Small errors can undermine credibility. Ensure polished, error-free content that reflects our care and respect for our audience.
Humanizing medical expertise: Balance knowledge with warmth and compassion. Patients seek reassurance and encouragement alongside information.
The Path Forward: From Good to Great
Our goal should be to create educational content that's not just "better than nothing," but truly exceptional. Here's how:
Empathetic design: Reflect the emotional care experience of patients in our content.
Inclusive approach: Tailor content to meet the needs of diverse patient populations.
Engaging formats: Move beyond PowerPoint readings to dynamic, conversational presentations.
Actionable information: Provide clear, relevant content that activates and empowers patients in their healthcare experience.
The message is clear: patients don’t just want to learn; they want to feel seen, heard, and valued. Importantly, they want to know what to do next to improve their health and ability to do what matters to them. And that’s what great educational tools should aim to achieve.
The ROI of Patient-Centered Education
Investing in truly patient-centered education isn't just about altruism - it's good business. When patients feel understood and empowered:
Treatment adherence improves3
Patient satisfaction increases1
Health outcomes are enhanced2
By elevating our educational content from good to great, we not only fulfill our mission to improve patient lives but also improve the way that healthcare is delivered and consumed.
A Call to Action to Decision-Makers
To all of our Medical Affairs Leaders and Education Specialists friends, Your expertise in Independent Medical Education (IME) and Continuing Medical Education (CME) uniquely positions you to revolutionize patient education. But don’t do it alone.
To make a difference in patient education, try teaming up with trusted patient communities with firsthand experience that can provide invaluable insights for creating resonant content. Apply your expertise in measuring educational outcomes to assess the real-world impact of these patient initiatives. Your proficiency with educational technologies can drive innovation in content delivery methods. Importantly, sound instructional design principles should be employed throughout the development process, ensuring that the entire educational experience is tailored to patient needs.
By partnering closely with patient communities and genuinely listening to their needs, you can create educational tools that inform, empower, and resonate personally. Creating content that makes patients feel seen, heard, and valued improves health outcomes and strengthens the bond between life sciences and those you serve.
The future of patient education in pharma is not just about sharing information - it's about creating connections, fostering understanding, and empowering individuals to actively navigate their health journey.
Are you ready to lead this transformation?
Chen J, Mullins CD, Novak P, Thomas SB. Personalized Strategies to Activate and Empower Patients in Health Care and Reduce Health Disparities. Health Educ Behav. 2016 Feb;43(1):25-34. doi: 10.1177/1090198115579415. Epub 2015 Apr 6. PMID: 25845376; PMCID: PMC4681678.
Bhattad PB, Pacifico L. Empowering Patients: Promoting Patient Education and Health Literacy. Cureus. 2022 Jul 27;14(7):e27336. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27336. PMID: 36043002; PMCID: PMC9411825.
Approaches to Patient Education: Emphasizing the Long-Term Value of Compliance and Persistence. Gold, Deborah T. et al. The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 119, Issue 4, S32 - S37.