Areej El-Jawahri Discusses Video Interventions for Decision Making

Areej El-Jawahri, MD, an oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses video tools to improve patient-provider communication and decision making.

In a randomized trial, patients with advanced cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Stanford Cancer Institute watched a 3-minute cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) video in addition to receiving standard oncology care. Their results were compared to those of patients receiving standard care alone.

The video showed likely outcomes of CPR and other options.

The study found that patients who watched the video were less likely to prefer CPR for themselves and were more knowledgable about CPR than those in the group receiving standard care.

Participants who received the video intervention also reported finding it helpful, and 94% would recommend it to others facing similar decisions.