ENHANCING PATIENT COMMUNICATION IN NEPHROLOGY THROUGH AI-SUPPORTED EDUCATIONAL AVATARIZED VIDEOS: A NOVEL APPROACH

Introduction:

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant public health issue, affecting around 850 million people worldwide1. Patients with CKD often are burdened with a range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, cognitive decline, psychosocial pressures, and economic disparities2,3. These factors could significantly impair the effectiveness of communication, and the retention of information provided during consultations. Despite prior reports exploring health education (HE) literacy for improving adherence and self-management of people with chronic diseases4,7, the application of AI-supported audiovisual tools in kidney care remains underexplored. In response to this need and leveraging the capabilities of advanced technological tools like generative artificial intelligence (AI) in nursing and healthcare settings8, we propose a novel approach to enhance patient communication. We aim to introduce the concept of delivering educational avatar videos tailored to the specific needs of CKD patients to improve kidney HE, targeting both kidney patients and their families. We hypothesize that this approach could improve patient understanding, adherence, and overall outcomes in nephrology care.

Methods:

A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in 25 patients from the nephrology outpatient consultations at the Hospital General Universitario Nuestra Señora del Prado (Talavera de la Reina, Spain), during 2024. An educational avatar video was developed using AI technology (HeyGen Inc., California, USA) with a one-minute script created in an accessible language. Patients accessed the video via a QR code on their mobile devices. After viewing, they were directed to an anonymous survey to evaluate the performance of this strategy. These videos incorporate recommendations from their kidney care team and were accessible anywhere through a QR code included in their medical report. Responses were evaluated using a Likert scale.

Results:

52% of patients found the avatar video more useful than traditional written information and expressed a desire for more interactive content, while 8% remained neutral. Additionally, 48% preferred to watch videos either always or frequently, while 28% desired to do so only occasionally. Importantly, 100% of respondents identified multiple benefits to this new modality, with the most significant being "receiving primary information from the nephrology team" (83%). Suggestions for improvement included using a more natural-sounding voice. Also, respondents appreciated the use of simple language and the briefness of the video.

Conclusions:

Most respondents conveyed positive feedback on the potential of supplementing traditional HE with AI-generated avatar videos. Despite the limited sample size, the results are promising. Key recommendations for future implementations include improving audio quality, maintaining the use of simple language, and ensuring the videos remain brief. Additionally, there is a recognized need for incorporating subtitles into the videos. Further studies are required to explore the potential benefits of AI-assisted HE in the management of patients with kidney diseases.

References: 1. Francis A, et al. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2024;20(7):473-485. 2. Kalantar-Zadeh K, et al. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2022;18(3):185-198. 3. Crews DC, et al. J Nephrol. 2019;32(1):1-8. 4. Langham RG, et al. Kidney Med. 2022;4(3):100436. 5. Verweel L, et al. Int J Med Inform. 2023;177:105114. 6. Rosaasen N, et al. Patient Educ Couns. 2018;101(9):1624-1629. 7. Morinelli TA, et al. Prog Transplant. 2022;32(1):27-34. 8. Pailaha AD. SAGE Open Nurs. 2023 Sep 8;9:23779608231196847.

I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.

I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.