An Innovative Approach to Delivering Point-of-Care Patient Education Using Social Media and Portable Media Devices

Background: A vital task for health care professionals is providing medical information at the point of care to patients in an effective way. With the Internet becoming a place for user-generated content, e.g. YouTube, SlideShare and blogs, providers can produce tailored, targeted messages in compliance with standards of practice in clinical settings. At the same time, portable media devices (PMD) like Apple’s iPad, Motorola’s Xoom and Dell’s Streak 7 can leverage the value of combined innovative technologies to enhance patient access to timely health information.

Program background: The number of asthma patients is steadily increasing at a southwest region university primary care clinic serving an urban, underserved population. During the past year 10.8% of the total patient population presented with asthma symptoms—an increase from 7.9% for the previous year. An interdisciplinary team of clinic administrators, Family Medicine faculty physicians and residents, non-physician providers and staff practicing at the clinic embarked upon creating a Point-of-Care Patient Education (POCPE) campaign to inform asthma patients about the proper use of metered dose inhalers with a spacer, as specified by clinic policies and procedures. Following a visit with their health care provider, asthma patients received individual 15-minute POCPE with a clinic nurse.

Evaluation Methods and Results: After determining POCPE learning objectives for asthma patients, a cost-benefit analysis was performed to determine the most suitable media for health information delivery, including paper brochures, tvs/DVD players with DVDs, and laptop computers or PMD with Internet connection. A search and review of health information found no teaching materials that fit POCED time constraints and clinic standards of practice. Social media that allowed clinic-generated health information were evaluated based on access, security and intellectual property rights. Innovative teaching methods were designed, including self-produced videos that coupled auditory and visual instruction to involve patients in active learning. Step-by-step instructions in accordance with best practices were voiced over a video of an individual demonstrating inhaler use. Videos were then uploaded to a password protected YouTube account. PMD were evaluated based on convenience, graphic user interface (GUI), interoperability with clinic IT equipment, and cost. During the pilot program patients presenting with uncontrolled asthma symptoms were identified and offered POCPE on the use of metered dose inhalers with a spacer. Patient and provider surveys assisted with an evaluation of the POCPE campaign effectiveness and indicated curricula and delivery method improvements.

Conclusions: Using a combination of social media and PMD, health care providers can leverage socially adaptive Web 2.0 Internet technology to deliver tailored POCPE health information to targeted patient populations in compliance with standards of practice in clinical settings. 

Implications for research and/or practice: Pilot program effectiveness will be evaluated using surveys and key informant interviews from patients and health care providers. Lessons learned will serve as iterative program development for future POCPE health information campaigns, including those for smoking cessation, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Similar POCPE programs could be developed by other medical clinics to improve delivery of POCPE.