Tailored Video Assistant Boosts Informed Prenatal Screening Decisions for Low Health Literacy Groups

Why It Matters

This research highlights the critical need for accessible and understandable health information, particularly for vulnerable populations. By employing a user-centered approach, designers can create effective tools that empower individuals to make critical health decisions aligned with their values and understanding.

Key Finding

An interactive video tool was created to help couples with limited health literacy understand and decide on prenatal screening, incorporating user feedback throughout its development.

Key Findings

• A needs assessment identified specific challenges faced by couples with limited health literacy in understanding prenatal screening information.
• An interactive, video-based decision aid with four modules (Other people’s experiences, Information about the tests, Help me decide, Further questions) was developed.
• Iterative prototyping and testing with target users and stakeholders ensured the decision aid was tailored to user needs and preferences.

Research Evidence

Aim: To systematically design and develop an online, interactive, and tailored video-based assistant to support pregnant couples with limited health literacy in making informed decisions about prenatal screening.

Method: Iterative User-Centered Design using the Intervention Mapping framework

Procedure: The development involved a needs assessment with pregnant couples and counselors, defining change objectives, selecting theoretical methods, and iteratively producing and testing three prototypes of the decision aid with target users and stakeholders.

Context: Prenatal screening decision-making for pregnant couples with limited health literacy.

Design Principle

Design for comprehension and empowerment by tailoring information delivery to the specific needs and literacy levels of the target audience.

How to Apply

When developing educational materials for health-related decisions, conduct thorough needs assessments with the target audience and use iterative prototyping with user feedback to ensure clarity and usability.

Limitations

The paper describes steps 1-4 of the development process, with implementation planning and evaluation preparation yet to be detailed. The specific effectiveness of the final decision aid in improving informed decision-making requires further evaluation.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: This study shows that making health information easy to understand, especially for people who find health topics confusing, can be done by creating special video tools that users help design.

Why This Matters: This research is important because it shows how to design products that help everyone, no matter their education level, make important decisions about their health.

Critical Thinking: How might the principles of designing for limited health literacy be applied to other complex decision-making scenarios beyond healthcare, such as financial planning or legal matters?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The development of a tailored, video-based decision aid, as demonstrated in the design of a prenatal screening support tool, underscores the critical role of user-centered design in enhancing health literacy and informed decision-making. By employing iterative prototyping and incorporating user feedback, designers can create accessible and effective resources that empower diverse user groups to navigate complex health choices.

Project Tips

• When designing a product, think about who will use it and if they will understand the information you provide.
• Use videos or interactive elements to explain complex ideas in a simple way.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study when discussing the importance of user research and tailoring design solutions for specific user groups, particularly in health-related projects.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the target user's needs and how the design directly addresses them, especially concerning accessibility and comprehension.

Independent Variable: ["Interactive, tailored video-based assistant (vs. standard information)"]

Dependent Variable: ["Informed decision-making about prenatal screening","Understanding of prenatal screening information","User satisfaction with the decision aid"]

Controlled Variables: ["Health literacy level of participants","Demographic characteristics of participants","Content of the prenatal screening information"]

Strengths

• Employs a systematic and iterative user-centered design methodology.
• Focuses on a vulnerable population with identified needs.
• Utilizes a multi-module, interactive approach to information delivery.

Critical Questions

• What are the long-term impacts of using such decision aids on user autonomy and decision confidence?
• How can the scalability and accessibility of such video-based tools be ensured across different technological infrastructures?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the effectiveness of different multimedia formats in communicating complex information to specific user groups, potentially by designing and testing a prototype decision aid for a different domain.

Source

Development of a Tailored Online Video-Based Assistant to Support Prenatal Screening Decisions in Couples With Limited Health Literacy: User-Centered Design Approach · JMIR Formative Research · 2026 · 10.2196/75391