Remote assessment and reinforcement of patient awareness of role of lifestyle modification and treatment adherence in polycystic ovary syndrome using an online video based educational module

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of an online, video-based, structured, educational module in increasing awareness in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with PCOS were assessed for baseline awareness about PCOS, quantified as “awareness score”, using a validated questionnaire. Topics assessed included factual and conceptual knowledge of the disease and awareness of behaviour-related lifestyle modification and therapy compliance in PCOS. An educational video module was shown to the participants which covered normal menstrual physiology, symptomatology, pathophysiology and natural history of PCOS, a comparative animation of healthy versus unhealthy lifestyle, indications of pharmacological intervention, and role of treatment adherence. The questionnaire was re-administered after exposure to the educational module, and effectiveness of the teaching method was evaluated by comparing pre and post test scores. RESULTS: The total number of subjects was 41. Baseline knowledge was “fair” in 17.1%, “moderate” in 48.8% and “good” in 34.1%. Significant increase in awareness scores was noted among participants regarding PCOS after exposure to the learning module from 15.09±4.31 to 18.60±3.85 (p<0.00001) with a large effect size (Cohen’s d=0.85). Most (48.8%) of the respondents had baseline awareness in the “moderate” range (scores between; 11-17) whereas post intervention scores improved to the “good” category for 63.4% of the women. CONCLUSION: The educational module was effective in significantly increasing knowledge about PCOS. Patient education is likely to help reinforce the message about lifestyle modification and continued compliance and may aid in promoting a patient-driven healthcare model in PCOS.