Online videos help staff deliver care
An online health and care video library increases service capacity
The Health and Care Video Library was created by Health and Care Innovations (HCI), a partnership between Rocklands Media Limited and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. The library includes over 600 videos developed by NHS clinicians to be used within care pathways. The videos were designed both to inform patients prior to any scheduled procedures, and to reduce the need for follow-up appointments. They cover a number of topics, procedures and conditions and aim to provide patients with concise and practical information in a user-friendly manner. The videos can range from practical instructions such as ‘how to walk with crutches’ to those explaining what to expect from upcoming treatments such as ‘having chemotherapy’. Staff can refer patients to the videos as part of their care, safe in the knowledge that they have clinical validity, and are accessible to the patients at a time that suits them. This flexibility can save both staff and patient time whilst also ensuring that patients feel more informed and empowered about their care.
"Using videos is the way forward, as we’re often bombarded with written information and people don’t want to read it. These videos are short, and our patients like them as an information source. We often recommend that they watch the video before calling our helpline as the answer is usually in the content, saving us time." Lead Nurse, Rheumatology/Osteoporosis
To provide teams with help and guidance for using the library, an online resource hub has also been created. It explains how to share the videos with patients and how to effectively use the videos through care pathways and across specialisations. It also provides case studies, social media resources, video support guides and posters and QR cards for teams to help raise awareness. Webinars for staff have also been run, focusing on primary and secondary care to help support all staff. These have been recorded and are available via the hub. The library is also available as an app to ensure accessibility on different devices.
A previous study at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust demonstrated that using patient videos can save Trusts significant time and resources. For physiotherapy, cardiology, podiatry, maternity and gastroenterology services, using videos led to 6,598 fewer appointments and cost savings of £350,000.
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