Video-based education improves the image quality of diagnostic percutaneous cerebral angiography among elderly patients.

Objective - Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is considered the gold standard for cerebral vasculature observation and is increasingly applied among the elderly population. The aim of this study is to determine whether the use of a video-based education system can improve the image quality of percutaneous cerebral angiography. Method - This study is a single-blinded prospective cohort trial. One hundred and sixty patients (>= 65 years old) were enrolled in this study. Eighty patients were provided with video-based education as intervention. Eighty age-matched controls only received regular education. The DSA image quality was assessed between control and intervention groups. It was rated by two readers on a 5-point scale, independently. Results - No differences were found between control and intervention groups in baseline characteristics (P > 0.05). The mean overall image quality was significantly higher in patients receiving video-based education than in controls (P < 0.05), and the same trends were found in the respective assessment of each artery (left and right carotid/vertebral artery; P < 0.05). Moreover, the operation time and radiation doses were quite comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions - This study indicated that video-based education helps elderly patients to acquire improved DSA image quality. It encourages the application of this approach in practice.