Patients' and Care Providers' Perceptions of Television-Based Education in the Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Delivery of patient education materials to promote health literacy is a vital component of patient-centered care, which improves patients' decision-making, reduces patients' anxiety, and improves clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate perceptions of television-based patient education among patients, caregivers, nurses, and other care providers (attending physicians, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, and resident fellows) in the intensive care unit. METHODS: A Likert-scale survey of the perceptions of patients, caregivers, nurses, and other care providers in the medical and cardiovascular intensive care units of a large academic medical center. Perceptions of the effects of television-based education on anxiety, knowledge, and health-related decision-making were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 188 participants completed the survey. Among them, 75% of nurses and 76% of other providers agreed or strongly agreed that television-based education improved patients' and caregivers' knowledge (P = .95). More nurses (47%) than other providers (29%) agreed that television-based education would lead to more informed health decisions by patients (P = .04). Patients and caregivers are 23 times more likely than providers to strongly agree that television-based education reduces anxiety, and they are more optimistic regarding the benefits of television-based education (relative risk ratio 23.47; 95% CI 9.75-56.45; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Patients and caregivers strongly suggested that television is a useful tool for providing health literacy education in an intensive care unit.