Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: To prevent neurological damage caused by congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), hypoglycaemia must be avoided and treated promptly. Education of parents, carers and families of patients with CHI (PCFs) about the causes and consequences of CHI may help to reduce severity of hypoglycaemia due to earlier correction of blood glucose levels. We aimed to determine whether video animations could be used to improve understanding of CHI among PCFs, and the acceptability of this delivery method among PCFs and health-care providers (HCPs).

Methods: Following PCF consultation, three video animations on aspects of CHI were produced and hosted on a single webpage. After watching the videos, participants completed an anonymous web-based questionnaire. Respondents were grouped according to whether they were HCPs (n=8) or PCFs (n=12) and data were evaluated using descriptive statistics.

Results: Biology knowledge was reported as below GCSE standard for 25% of PCFs. In seeking CHI-related information, 75% of PCFs used websites, 50% asked their HCP and 20% used social media. These data highlight the importance of simple, web-based materials for PCF education. After watching the videos, 73% of PCFs reported improved understanding of CHI and 82% of PCFs felt that the videos improved their confidence to explain CHI to others. The remaining PCFs had either extensive experience of dealing with CHI (>8 years) or a high level of knowledge about the condition already. Overall 100% of respondents would recommend the video animations to friends, relatives, or other HCPs.

Discussion/conclusion: The study revealed unprecedented support for the video animations and their ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to PCFs. We conclude that video animations are a useful way to deliver educational materials and the impact of these resources should be investigated in a larger cohort study. Moreover, video animation should be considered for delivery of education materials in other paediatric disorders.