August 7, 2011 - Studies are continuing to mount that animated video is a hands down winner over written pamphlets for educating patients about healthcare-related issues. Not only do animated videos get the message across better, they result in enhanced long-term knowledge retention, too.

A new prospective, randomized, controlled trial from the world of pediatric emergency medicine, “Animated Video vs Pamphlet: Comparing the Success of Educating Parents about Proper Antibiotic Use” from researchers in the Departments of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Research and Sponsored programs at Children’s Hospital and Clinic of Minnesota in Minneapolis reported earlier this year that animated video took the top prize for effectiveness and lasting information retention when comparing the success of educating parents about proper antibiotic use in the emergency department setting.

Originally published online in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Mark Schnellinger et al. add to the growing awareness that animation tied with consumer-friendly health education is more effective than static paper-based materials (and, we believe, they can be much more fun, too!)