Dr Nadir Abbas
Developing a digital platform (liverdojo.com) for informational, liver health videos for different languages in the UK.
SPR Trainee Audit/Quality Improvement Award Winner:
“Liverdojo.com ‘Know your Liver’: A patient education website and YouTube channel that aims to provide video information on liver related conditions in commonly spoken languages in the UK.”
Within his project, Dr Abbas begins by explaining how, in the UK, liver disease is on the rise. 40 people die from the condition everyday and around three quarters of people who will die from cirrhosis are currently unaware that they have liver disease.
In order to get patients engaged, health literacy is fundamental. Low health literacy contributes to health inequalities and poorer health outcomes. Dr Abbas identified that English proficiency is a key barrier to healthcare, especially in the Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) communities.
Content in the format of short videos (video brochures) can be very effective to engage learners as an information tool and has reported high levels of satisfaction within this study. With the increasing audiences on digital platforms such as YouTube (currently 2 million active monthly users), similar projects within places such as Canada and Australia have been hugely successful. This is an effective way to go beyond traditional, informational leaflets to reach a wider audience.
Dr Abbas explains:
“Our project therefore aims to increase awareness of liver disease across UK communities, by developing a digital platform called liverdojo.com. This platform will host information videos on a wide range of liver health topics, translated and presented by native speakers, most of whom are medically trained, in some of the most commonly spoken languages in the UK. We will reach potential and current liver patients via a variety of methods including patient groups, religious and community centres as well as targeted advertising.
Our aim is that Liverdojo.com will educate and empower both potential and diagnosed liver patients – and their families – to make their own informed health choices and, in the long term, reduce the cost burden on the NHS.
To monitor patient satisfaction and understanding of liver health before and after using Liverdojo.com, we will also provide online surveys. In the long term we would hope to gain endorsement for this service from bodies including the British Society of Gasroenterology (BSG) and British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL).“
Why did you choose this project?
“I am excited to be working on this unique project and truly believe liverdojo.com has the potential to reduce the health inequality observed nationally with regards to liver health.”
The Dr Falk Guts UK Award provides us with the perfect initial support we need to get this project up and running and I’m very grateful for this award.
With this partnership, we aim to move away from the out-dated, less relatable and non-environmentally friendly method of educating patients and instead reach out to the millions that have access to the internet for reliable information.
- Nadir Abbas
