Effect of social media in improving knowledge among patients having fixed appliance orthodontic treatment: A single-center randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction: Research has shown that orthodontic patients are more likely to retain information presented in an audiovisual format. However, there has been little research on the effectiveness of audiovisual information provided through different routes such as the Internet. This parallel-group randomized controlled trial assessed whether provision of audiovisual information on the YouTube (Google, San Bruno, Calif) Web site to orthodontic patients undergoing fixed appliance treatment results in improved patient knowledge when compared with conventional methods of information provision. The effects of sex and ethnicity were also investigated.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the Department of Orthodontics of the Eastman Dental Hospital, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom. The patients were 13 years of age and over, with no history of orthodontic treatment, and patient and parental (where appropriate) consent were obtained. The participants were randomized into control (n = 34) and intervention (n = 33) groups using a random number table; there was stratification based on age group, with permuted blocks of 10 patients. Both groups were given routine verbal and written patient information related to fixed appliances, and the participants in the intervention group were sent 3 e-mails over 6 weeks requesting that they view a 6-minute YouTube video containing similar information but in audiovisual format. Patient knowledge was measured using identical questionnaires answered on the day of recruitment (baseline) and again 6 to 8 weeks later. The researchers were unaware of group allocations when enrolling patients and scoring questionnaires.

Results: Sixty participants (89.55%) completed the study. Those who completed the trial in the intervention group (n = 30) demonstrated significantly greater improvements in knowledge than did those in the control group (n = 30), scoring, on average, almost 1 point more (95% CI for the difference, 0.305-1.602; P = 0.005) on the final questionnaire. Ethnicity had a statistically significant effect on improvement in knowledge, but sex did not. No harm to any patient was noted during the trial.

Conclusions: Presenting audiovisual information through the YouTube Web site to orthodontic patients resulted in a significant improvement in patient knowledge. Supplementation of verbal and written patient information with audiovisual information via the Internet is therefore worthy of consideration.

Registration: National Research and Ethics Service (REC number 12/LO/0863), United Kingdom.

Protocol: The protocol was not published before trial commencement.

Funding: No funding or conflict of interest to be declared.