Effects of Lumbar Puncture Educational Video on Parental Knowledge,
Perceived Risks and Consenting Acceptability
Abstract
Objectives: To assess a newly developed educational video about lumbar
puncture (LP), in the parents’ native language, tailored to their social
background, and whether it facilitates their consent for LP. Methods:
The randomized, controlled trial was conducted at outpatient pediatric
clinics at a teaching hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The conventional
arm used LP verbal explanation. The second group utilized a standardized
video with similar information. Parents’ knowledge, perceived LP risks,
and willingness to consent were measured, before and after the
intervention. Results: We enrolled 201 parents, with similar baseline
characteristics. Both groups had an increase in knowledge scores, with
Wilcoxon signed-rank test showing significant knowledge gains (Verbal
Explanation: W=2693, n=83, P<0.001, and Video: W=5538, n=117,
P< 0.001). However, the conventional verbal counseling
resulted in more consistent knowledge gain (SD=14.5) as compared to the
video group (SD= 18.94). The video group reported higher perceived risk
(Mean 8.2, SD 3.59) than the verbal group (mean 7.12, SD 2.51). The
less-educated parents perceived higher LP risk after watching the video
(P< 0.001). Conclusions: LP video education in parents’ native
language is as effective as conventional verbal education for the
informed consent, with the additional advantage of reproducibility and
more illustrations. While videos could facillitate remote procedural
consenting process during infectious disease outbreaks; however, this
should be followed by direct verbal interaction with parents, to ensure
their full understanding and address any further concerns.