The Effect of Informational Podcasts on Shared Decision-Making, Anxiety, and Patient Satisfaction in Hospital Visits: Intervention Study

Background: Podcasts provide a platform for delivering patient information. They have the potential to enhance patient engagement in shared decision-making (SDM), reduce anxiety in relation to hospital visits, and improve patient satisfaction. However, their impact on these outcomes in the context of hospital visits remains underexplored. Objective: This study aimed to examine whether podcasts influence patients' (1) engagement in SDM, (2) anxiety after the hospital visit, and (3) satisfaction with the hospital visit. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent comparison group was used. The study was conducted in 3 specialized outpatient clinics at a Danish hospital. Patients were allocated to one of 2 groups: the intervention group, which received access to informational podcasts in addition to standard written information before their hospital visit, and the comparison group, which received only the standard written information. All patients received validated questionnaires to assess SDM (9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire [SDM-Q-9]), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State), and satisfaction after the consultation. Results: A total of 240 patients participated. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed a 15% higher level of SDM (SDM-Q-9) scores (adjusted relative difference=1.15, 95% CI 1.05-1.26; P=.18). Subgroup analyses indicated a statistically significant effect among patients with low health literacy (adjusted relative difference=1.81, 95% CI 1.42-2.32; P=.002). Anxiety scores were 9% lower (adjusted relative difference=0.91, 95% CI 0.84-0.99; P=.23), and satisfaction with previsit information increased by 14% (adjusted relative difference=1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21; P=.003). Conclusions: Informational podcasts, provided as a supplement to traditional written information, may offer modest support for patient engagement in SDM, particularly among patients with low health literacy. Podcasts also appear to improve satisfaction with previsit information more broadly. Effects on previsit anxiety were inconclusive.