Patient education plays a significant role in addressing health inequity, social determinants of health, and treatment adherence by improving shared decision-making. By teaching patients about their condition and treatment, physicians fulfill a key responsibility. Nonetheless, educating laypersons about complicated diagnoses is challenging and time-consuming, particularly considering that traditional medical education provides little training in how to do so.¹

Modern society offers several technologies, including wireless internet, high-definition streaming video, and social media (SoMe) platforms, which are increasingly used by patients to learn about their conditions. SoMe represents a key opportunity for patient education, given its accessibility and user-friendliness.^2,3 This is especially important in urology, where complex innovative treatments abound, and diagnoses broach sensitive topics that patients may feel reluctant to discuss in person.

Physicians have begun utilizing online platforms to educate patients outside the office to the benefit of physicians and patients alike. Studies show patients forget 80% of information reviewed in clinic, and half of the retained information is actually incorrect.⁴ Accordingly, adherence suffers, worsening outcomes and reducing efficiency as appointments must be rescheduled or additional care becomes necessary. Patients commonly follow up with electronic messaging and phone calls, representing a significant burden for providers. Finally, physicians repeat the same script from one appointment to the next, exacerbating burnout. In the age of managed care and increasing demands, providers could better direct their in-person patient time toward more complex, personalized concerns, going beyond basic counseling with the use of video or SoMe as educational resources.

Accordingly, urologists have explored the benefits and limitations of this largely unregulated space. PubMed records 142 YouTube studies and 14 TikTok studies within urology. These conclude rampant misinformation and noise, largely from nonhealth care–affiliated creators who often advocate for ideas that are unproven or dismissed by the scientific community.^5,6 Anecdotally, most providers can recall experiences of patients presenting with false beliefs drawn from SoMe. Unfortunately, studies have even shown subpar quality and engagement of factually accurate content created by medical professionals.⁷ Solutions may involve regulated video-based platforms where patients access physicians in an asynchronous manner from the comfort of their home. WellPrept and Vidscrip offer 2 such views into the future.

On WellPrept, physicians create custom pages for each condition they treat, adding a curated list of educational videos, links, or documents. Moreover, clinic-specific information such as logistics and policies can be provided. Patients can better prepare in advance of appointments. They can complete preclinic paperwork, review preprocedure requirements, or prepare for studies that might be requested during their initial visit, thus reducing anxiety. Afterward, patients may access lasting records of appointment advice and follow-up care.

Vidscrip conversely encourages physicians to create their own video content on a given topic for patients in a SoMe-like setting. Videos may explain a new diagnosis, pathophysiology of the condition, benefits and risks of treatment options, or routine preoperative and postoperative care. These videos can be accessed asynchronously to refresh the patient’s memory after the visit or answer follow-up questions, or they can be sent directly to the patient’s phone or email in sync with upcoming procedures. Moreover, they are customized to individual providers, as institutional workflow and recommendations may differ, but can also be widely accessed nationally, allowing patients to seek diverse expert voices and second opinions.

Online patient engagement can benefit urologists via efficiency, patient satisfaction scores, and potentially improved medical outcomes. Providers may also offer in-depth counseling that is traditionally constrained by time during office visits such as preventative recommendations, lifestyle changes, and postdiagnosis expectations. These factors have significant advantages for longitudinal, humanistic care. We can build trust with our patients who will feel more cared for and empowered while limiting electronic messages that have become time consuming for physicians in the postpandemic era.⁸ Ultimately, as health systems transition toward more care delivery at home, on telehealth, or in ambulatory settings, these online resources will gain value.

Medical journals, which contain the most accurate information, are inaccessible to laypersons both because of the need for subscription access or the scientific terminology used.⁹ While web pages such as WebMD may educate patients regarding medical diagnoses, they may be too broad or simplistic, leaving out much of the nuanced detail discussed in an office visit. The Urology Care Foundation offers an excellent model of reliable, widely used written content,¹⁰ but the next generation of patients has become accustomed to video content and SoMe within their daily lives. Organizations such as the American Urological Association and subspecialty societies should collaborate with new SoMe platforms to produce official video content aimed at a patient audience.³ This may deliver education about the latest research, treatment guidelines, and “what to know about a diagnosis” in a patient-friendly manner.

WellPrept and Vidscrip offer a look into the future responsibility of physicians, transcending the world of diagnostics and medical or surgical treatments toward broader leadership roles in health care and health information. As we move away from paternalism and encourage patient autonomy via shared decision-making, health-directed SoMe platforms offer an opportunity for our patients to educate themselves about their bodies and diagnoses with information from trusted sources.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Dr MacDonald does consulting and research for Vidscrip. All other Authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.