Podcasts as a tool to support patient participation in hospital consultations: An intervention study
Part of the session: Psychological and behavioural dimensions of respiratory innovation
Speaker
Jannie Frølund (Denmark)
In modern care, patients are expected to be empowered and to actively participate in decision making regarding their own healthcare. And on top, they are expected to make informed decisions, which for some patients require learning new things. Can the information that they need be provided in alternative format to help prepare them for hospital visits? A Danish project aimed to see if a targeted podcast could fit the need.
Pre-visit podcasts tested
Three podcasts were developed, aiming to prepare the patients for hospital visits for suspected lung cancer, COPD and sleep apnea. The objective of these podcasts were to improve the patient participation in the hospital consultations.1 A quasi-experimental study was set up to see if receiving the podcast on top of the standard written information would make the patient more prone to take an active part in the consultations.2 This was measured by Activity Barometer (TAB), which scores verbalized questions, preferences and concerns.
Podcast intervention: fewer concerns but clearer preferences
In contrast to the expectation, the overall participation was lower in intervention group (receiving both standard information and podcast). The intervention group raise fewer concerns, but also expressing their preferences more often. One interpretation of this effect was that some questions and concerns were already answered by the podcast ahead of the appointment. The lower activity score in the intervention group could also be a sign of information overload, making the participants more passive.
Implications for Clinical practice
The experiment was small, and results only apply to these specific podcasts – and not podcasts in general, but some major themes were identified. Some patients take comfort in preparing, others don’t. Interindividual differences, such as liking podcasts (or not), finding it easy to access the podcast (or not) are also likely to impact potential added value.
More information does not necessarily lead to more active participation, but can help patients prepare for structured discussions. The effectiveness depends to a large extent on the patient: how they can process and apply the information. Integration into clinical workflows, i.e. that it fits the clinical setting, is key for getting the most out of patient information delivered via a podcast.
Hanne Klenø
Medical Science Liasion
References:
- Frølund JC, Løkke A, Jensen HI, Farver-Vestergaard I. Development of Podcasts in a Hospital Setting: A User-Centered Approach. J Health Commun. 2024 Apr 2;29(4):244-55. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2024.2321385. Epub 2024 Feb 29. PMID: 38420940.
- Frølund JC, Løkke A, Jensen HI, Farver-Vestergaard I. The Use of Podcasts as Patient Preparation for Hospital Visits-An Interview Study Exploring Patients’ Experiences. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Jun 6;21(6):746. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21060746. PMID: 38928992; PMCID: PMC11203501.
ID 17266-23.10.2025