Use of a brief educational video administered by a portable video device to improve skin cancer knowledge in the outpatient transplant population.

Background: The considerably high risk of skin cancer development among transplant recipients warrants effective and efficient patient education on sun-protective behaviors.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and patient satisfaction of a brief educational video on skin cancer risks and sun-protective behaviors in the transplant population during a routine posttransplant follow-up visit, as compared with an educational handout.

Materials And Methods: One hundred posttransplant patients were randomized to receive either video or pamphlet education about skin cancer. The primary outcome measure was knowledge acquisition, which was assessed using a 10-criterion grading instrument before and after the assigned educational intervention. The secondary outcome measure was patient satisfaction with the particular educational intervention received.

Results: Comparison between the 2 treatment groups demonstrated that the video group had significantly greater improvement in knowledge scores (3.96 ± 1.69) as compared with the pamphlet group (1.76 ± 1.42, p < .01). Moreover, subjects in the video group rated the educational material as more useful and appealing than did subjects in the pamphlet group.

Conclusion: These findings suggest an inherent appeal for audio-visual presentation and point its potential to improve patients' knowledge of their increased risk of skin cancer and preventive skin cancer measures.