The effectiveness of video animations as a tool to improve health information recall for patients: A systematic review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Access to clear and comprehensible health information is pivotal for patient empowerment, lead-ing to improved self-care, adherence to treatment plans, and overall health outcomes. Traditional methods of information delivery, such as pamphlets and oral communication, often result in poor memorization and comprehension. Recent innovations like animation videos have shown promise in enhancing patient understanding, but comprehensive investigations into their effectiveness across various healthcare settings are lacking. OBJECTIVE The aim of systematic review is to investigate the effectiveness of animation videos on health information recall in patients as they engage with the healthcare system across diverse healthcare sectors. METHODS Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Cinahl, and Embase, supplemented by manual searches of reference lists. Included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adult participants (18 years and older), focusing on the use of animation videos to provide health information. A narrative synthesis approach was applied due to heterogeneity in measurement instruments. RESULTS A total of 15 studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 2454 patients. The majority of these studies (11/15) reported a statistically significant improvement in health information recall when animation videos were used, compared to traditional methods of information delivery. CONCLUSIONS Animation videos appear to significantly improve short-term recall of health information among patients. However, further research is needed to explore the long-term efficacy of these interven-tions, their impact on diverse populations, and how different animation styles might affect in-formation recall. CLINICALTRIAL Systematic Review Registration Number: CRD42022380016