Online videos get patients ready for surgery

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is integrating digital, video technology into their clinical workflows for surgical patients using technology developed by Health Care Transformation. TBRHSC’s goal is to improve patients’ experience with access to an online video library that reinforces what they will learn from their healthcare team regarding pre-operative instructions and post-operative follow up.

Patients, caregivers and families can stream modern videos from home at their convenience and in their language.

“We have already been using digital tools to engage our surgical patients, for example, SeamlessMD. By enhancing pre-op communications with video, we convey the information in a standardized, engaging way,” says Caroline Fanti, director of Regional Surgical Services, TBRHSC. “Our team has been extremely excited not only about the additional tools we will have to communicate with our patients but also how it empowers our patients and families by giving them access to the information they need, at their fingertips.”

In just under two months since launch, the videos have garnered nearly 1,000 views. The feedback received has been overwhelmingly positive, including over 97 per cent of respondents conveying they find the videos helpful. These videos also include multilingual captions to serve the diverse Canadian population.

Dorise Barrett, a recent TBRHSC surgical patient, utilized the SeamlessMD platform and viewed the asynchronous videos.

“The videos were helpful as a reminder of what to do and when, and to highlight the information that my healthcare team provided,” says Barrett. “I also found the [SeamlessMD] app had lots of information, and the nurses were quick to respond to my questions.”

Kayley Heppler, a nurse practitioner who works in the Surgical Transitions and Remote Patient Monitoring program at TBHRSC, has found the videos helpful in preparing patients for surgery.

“The patients come in knowing what to expect in terms of getting ready for surgery, general pre-op and post-op directions,” says Heppler “It gives them the opportunity to formulate any questions in advance, and the ability to be more self-directed in their healthcare journey.”

“Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is one of the organizations leading the way towards the future of care delivery,” says Meghan Nechrebecki, founder and CEO at Health Care Transformation. “To rely on verbal and written pre-op education is inefficient for nurses and ineffective for patients. Async video allows patients to re-watch the information as often as needed and with their partners and other loved ones who play an important role in their care.”

Through the async video analytics, TBRHSC is already tracking improvement in both nurse and patient experience and compliance.

To find out more about surgery at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, or to view the videos, visit bit.ly/TBRHSC-Surgery.