JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The importance of effective communication during public health emergencies has been highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO), and the WHO has published guidelines for effective communication in such situations. With video being a popular medium, video communication has been a growing area of study over the past decades, and video communication is increasingly used across different sectors and disciplines, including health. Health-related video communication gained momentum during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and video was among the most frequently used modes of communication internationally. Yet, while much research has been done regarding different characteristics of video content (the message) and its delivery (the messenger), there is a lack of knowledge of the role played by the characteristics of the recipients for the creation of effective communication.

Objective:

To identify how health video communication outcomes are shaped by recipients’ characteristics, as such characteristics might impact the effectiveness of the communication. The main research question of the study was: Do the characteristics of the recipients of health videos impact the outcomes of the communication?

Methods:

A scoping review describing the existing knowledge within the field was conducted. We searched for literature in 3 databases (PubMed, Scopus and Embase), defining eligibility criteria based on the relevance to the research question. Recipients’ characteristics and health video communication outcomes were identified and classified.

Results:

Out of the 1040 documents initially identified, 128 met the criteria for full-text assessment, and 39 met the inclusion criteria. The included studies reported 56 recipients’ characteristics and 42 communication outcomes. The reported associations between characteristics and outcomes were identified and the potential research opportunities discussed. Contributions were made to theory development by amending the existing framework of the I-Change model, an integrated model of motivational and behavioral change.

Conclusions:

While several recipients’ characteristics and health video communication outcomes were identified, there is a lack of robust empirical evidence on the association between them. Further research is needed to understand the nature of how the preceding factors of recipients might impact the various outcomes of health video communication.