Effectiveness of Verbal, Written, and Video-based Postextraction Instructions on Patient Understanding, Compliance, and Satisfaction: An Observational Study
Tanushri Jibhakate, Pranav Ingole, Mrunal Chougule, Nilima Budhraja, Ramakrishna ShenoiAbstract
Background:
It is vital to convey clear instructions following dental extractions to ensure patient compliance, which consequently allows proper healing and avoids complications. Conventionally, dental healthcare professionals (DHCP) deliver the postoperative instructions verbally or in a written format on leaflets. While these methods are mostly effective, instructions may get misinterpreted. This has led the DHCPs to switch to supplemental methods for ensuring proper patient comprehension. Certain practitioners advocate the use of audio-visual aids for the delivery of instructions. Limited evidence exists comparing the efficacy of this method of instruction delivery, especially in dental care. Hence, this study was conducted to address this discrepancy.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of verbal only, verbal plus written, or verbal plus video methods for patient instruction, understanding, compliance and satisfaction level post dental extraction.
Methodology:
An observational study was conducted on 90 adult patients undergoing simple extractions. The patients received instructions in three methods: three Groups A, B, and C, consisting of 30 patients each. Group A: received only verbal instructions, Group B: received verbal instructions with a written handout, and Group C: received verbal instructions via video presentation. All patients were asked to complete a survey 7 days postoperatively, asking how well they understood the instructions, if the instructions were followed, and what was their satisfaction level (using yes/no and rating questions). The data were evaluated using Chi-square analysis, one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s honestly significant difference
Results:
All three groups yielded a similar result regarding compliance. Groups B (verbal instructions with written leaflets) and C (verbal instructions with video demonstration) seemed to grasp the instructions better than Group A (verbal instructions). In terms of satisfaction and clarity, the group receiving the video instructions showed significantly better outcomes, reporting a greater perceived clarity regarding the instructions and higher overall satisfaction.
Conclusion:
Video instructions demonstrated better results in terms of satisfaction of patients and delivering clear instructions to the patients. However, compliance rates among the three groups were comparable. This method may minimize chances of human error and misinterpretation during the delivery of instructions. It is especially a valuable adjuvant to all methods of instruction delivery and can be added to daily clinical practice for improving patient clarity and satisfaction.