Segmented Multimedia Use for Healthcare Communications

 Marie Kambinga

Selected Case :

Soicher, R. N., & Becker-Blease, K. A. (2020, August 26). Testing the segmentation effect of multimedia … – wiley online library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcal.12485 

1. Introduction 

The topic of this blog is the use of rich media (multimedia) in the healthcare setting. Our textbook explains how health science research currently uses advanced computing and network technologies for consultation and education, and that simulation and multimedia are two prominent and commonly used methodologies in medical education (Reiser et al 171). Simulations expose learners to a variety of cases that they will encounter in real life, and multimedia are used in educational experiences to incorporate information that learners need to examine to be efficient problem solvers and practitioners. Computer simulations today utilize multimedia to “show lesions, radiologic images (CTs, MRIs, x-rays, sonograms), and video of patients talking or moving as well as present audio of breath and heart sounds” (Reiser et al 171). Multimedia in healthcare can be used in numerous ways for healthcare communication and training in medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and outpatient care centers. New remote learning solutions for healthcare training and communication are in high demand and equipment regulations and recommendations need to stay up to date—and even translated to multiple languages (Jones, 2022). The multimedia use cases that have been identified include virtual tours of labs and treatment rooms, health, safety and PPE training for healthcare workers and volunteers, floor plans and digital signage solutions, patient experience simulations, diagnostic imaging, medical vocabulary, educational videos, virtual trainings for physicians and first responders, and health protection and promotion in public health campaigns (Jones, 2022). The purpose of this blog is to highlight how multimedia can be used to facilitate learning for patients.  

2. Overview of the Case

The chosen case study proposes that multimedia can be used to tackle issues in health communication. The researchers use the cognitive theory of multimedia to back their hypothesis that segmentation, or “presentation of the material in a learner paced fashion”, will lead to deeper/meaningful learning of the material because it would reduce the cognitive load placed on the learner compared to material that is presented in a continuous fashion (Soicher & Becker-Blease, 2020). They also hypothesized that information about kidney functions would be better transferred using a multimedia presentation that is in a segmented condition. If successful, this style of learning could benefit patients who want to participate in decision-making about their medical conditions. The problems that the researchers aimed to address include: the majority of the population does not have high health literacy, current suggestions about improving doctor-patient communication include removing crucial information that would allow for patients to be properly informed, and the suggestions given are not based on systematic evaluations that determine what specifically works for a patient.. 

The researchers in this case study describe the two features from research on multimedia learning that are relevant to health communication: (1) producing theoretically derived recommendations for teaching advanced topics when important information cannot be simplified or omitted any more, and (2) shifting focus from more than just one outcome and instead developing a lasting, transferrable, theoretical understanding of a topic (Soicher & Becker-Blease, 2020). The participants in this study were undergraduate students at a large public university, with a majority participating as a requirement for their psychology courses. 

3. Solutions Implemented

Upon arrival, participants provided informed consent to partake in the research, and were then asked to answer demographic questions (age, gender identity, undergraduate level, and race/ethnicity). They then had to complete a knowledge check (five-point scale, 7-item checklist, 12 total points) that directed participants to indicate their knowledge of how the kidneys function by answering the 7-items, which were: ‘I regularly read about biological systems in the body’, ‘I can name the parts of a kidney’, ‘I know what a nephron is’, ‘I can explain how the kidneys filter blood’, ‘I know about common kidney diseases’, ‘Myself or someone else I’m close to has a kidney disease that we discuss frequently’, ‘A doctor or teacher has explained the kidneys to me in detail’ (Soicher & Becker-Blease, 2020). Any participant who scored 7 or more points did not have their data included in the analysis. The researchers used Qualtrics to randomly assign participants to receive either the ‘continuous’ kidney function presentation or the ‘segmented’ version, and they were required to view the presentation twice. The participants were told they would view a multimedia presentation about kidney functions and would be asked to recall the information they learned. The continuous version also included instructions explaining the presentation would be automatic, with each screen advancing every 10 seconds; the segmented version instructed them to go at their own pace when viewing the screens (the time spent on each slide was recorded). The presentations depicted kidney functions using 15 steps, each accompanied by a simple diagram.

After completing the first presentation, the participants were asked “How difficult was it for you to learn about kidney function from the presentation you just saw?” and were required to rate from a scale of 1 (very easy) to 7 (very hard) (Soicher & Becker-Blease, 2020). They would then take the presentation a second time and provide another rating of the cognitive load they experienced from the task. The researchers tested retention by having participants answer a recall question: “Please write down an explanation of how the kidneys work” (Soicher & Becker-Blease, 2020). The researchers counted the number of main ideas that were accurately recalled out of the 37 possible ideas; based on previous studies on this topic, the researchers hypothesized that segmentation would have little to no effect on retention improvement. They also included four timed short answer application questions to determine the transfer of information the participants received from the kidney presentation; these included questions about the cause of kidney stones, potential negative effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the link between urine color and hydration, and the nephron’s function within the kidney.  

4. Outcomes

The researchers used a Sequential Bayes Factor design to compare cognitive load, retention scores, and transfer scores between the segmented and continuous presentation groups. Unfortunately, the data collected in this study was uninformative regarding the main effect of segmentation on the participants perceived cognitive load; after the first presentation, the average reported cognitive load was lower in the segmented condition but was effectively zero after the second presentation. When it came to retention, they found that their hypothesis was accurate, and that segmentation did not improve the participants’ retention of the information presented. Lastly, they found that the transfer of advanced biological information such as kidney function was not improved with the use of segmentation (Soicher & Becker-Blease, 2020).

5. Implications

An implication of this study as it pertains to cognitive load, is that patients in health-related decision-making contexts could equally benefit from complex information that is repeated and that which is segmented (Soicher & Becker-Blease, 2020). As it pertains to transfer of knowledge, more research should be conducted on implementing segmentation in different conditions to better understand this topic. Further research is also needed to examine more solutions for reducing cognitive load in multimedia presentations.  

When researching this topic, I came across Richard E. Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning; I feel that though this study was not successful after implementing just segmentation, the outcome may have been different if another one of Mayer’s principles was applied as well. A principle that I think would have helped facilitate meaningful learning is the Signaling Principle that states that people learn best when they are shown exactly what they should be paying attention to on the screen (Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning). I feel that this would be extremely beneficial in reducing cognitive load, especially in healthcare communication, because it is meant to highlight exactly what the learner should be focusing on. When it comes to medical information, it can easily become overwhelming, especially with something as complex as kidney functions. However, if the slides shown for each function emphasized exactly what was the most important takeaway (by using bold or highlighted words), I feel it would make the information more digestible, thus reducing cognitive load and possibly improving the transfer of knowledge. 

References 

Jones, L. (2022, November 29). 9 Use Cases for Interactive Media in Medical & Health Care Communication and Training. ThingLink Blog. https://www.thinglink.com/blog/9-use-cases-for-interactive-media-in-medical-health-care-communication-and-training/ 

Participation & Lifelong Learning. (n.d.). Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning. Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning: Introduction. https://www.participationandlifelonglearning.co.uk/mod/book/view.php?id=11085&chapterid=195

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