Research report: Application of a concise video to improve patient understanding of tumor genomic testing in community and academic practice settings

A three-to-four-minute educational video was associated with sustained improvements in cancer patients’ knowledge of the specific messages conveyed about tumor genomic testing. In a study of 203 patients who completed surveys before and after watching the video, video message-specific knowledge increased immediately after viewing and remained elevated when participants returned after receiving their tumor genomic testing results. The overall change across the three assessment points was significant ( p < 0.0001), with a consistent pattern across breast cancer, lung cancer, other cancers and community practice cohorts.

The study enrolled patients undergoing standard-of-care tumor genomic testing at a tertiary academic institution and at one of three community cancer centers. The first three academic cohorts consisted of patients with breast cancer, lung cancer or other cancer types, while the fourth cohort included patients with any cancer type receiving standard-of-care testing at a community center. Participants completed survey measures before viewing the video, immediately afterward and after their test results were returned.

No video-control group or randomization was described in the source material, so the findings demonstrate an association with exposure to the video rather than establishing that the video alone caused the observed changes. Researchers assessed several outcomes: a 10-question measure of objective genomic knowledge and understanding, a separate 10-question test of knowledge specific to the video’s messages, an 11-question measure of trust in physicians or providers and questions about perceptions of tumor genomic testing. Only video message-specific knowledge showed a significant change over time.

Broader objective genomic understanding did not change significantly ( p = 0.41), nor did trust in the physician or provider ( p = 0.73). The result therefore indicates improved retention of the information presented in the video, rather than a broad gain in genomic expertise or a measured change in trust. Four of the video-specific questions improved significantly, including questions concerning the potential influence of genomic results on treatment decisions, incidental germline findings and insurance coverage of testing.

Baseline knowledge also varied across participants. Higher scores for both objective genomic understanding and video message-specific knowledge were significantly associated with greater educational attainment and higher income. The public resource is available at tumor-testing.com.

Subject of Research: Video-based patient education before tumor genomic testing in cancer care settings

Article Title: Application of a concise video to improve patient understanding of tumor genomic testing in community and academic practice settings

Article References: Veney, D. J., Wei, L., Miller, J., Toland, A. E., Presley, C. J., Hampel, H., Padamsee, T. J., Bishop, M. J., Kim, J. J., Hovick, S. R., Irvin, W. J., Senter, L., & Stover, D. G. (2026). Application of a concise video to improve patient understanding of tumor genomic testing in community and academic practice settings. PLOS One, 21(10), e0360611. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360611

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360611

Keywords: tumor genomic testing, patient education, video intervention, genomic knowledge, cancer care, community oncology, academic medicine, survey outcomes, Application, concise, video, improve