A 2-minute video about pneumococcal vaccination increased the likelihood a patient would receive the vaccination, according to Northwestern Medicine research.

The new approach of pre-visit education has the potential to automatically educate patients about necessary preventive services, providing critical general information linked to upcoming clinic visits. Such a process then allows the limited time during an office visit to be focused on a patient’s specific questions and concerns.

The Northwestern study, funded by a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, will be presented May 14 at the 2016 Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting in Hollywood, Florida.

The investigators designed a two-minute video about pneumococcal vaccination, highlighting the need for vaccination across the lifespan. They programmed the electronic health record system to send patients newly eligible for the vaccine a link to an online video a week in advance of the patient’s primary care visit.

“This approach demonstrates a new way for patients to receive effective, efficient education about preventive care,” said Kenzie A. Cameron, the principal investigator and a research associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

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