Do we need a high level of detail in health information animations? An experimental study investigating the association between level of detail and information recall.

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the potential of simple animations with a low level of detail and their impact on patient's ability to recall information. Also, we examined how the patients' digital health literacy influenced the association.Methods: Over 900 Danish adults were continuously included in this experimental study, and they were allocated to either an animation with a low or high level of detail. Participants answered questionnaires about demographics, digital health literacy, and the ability to recall information. The association between level of detail and information recall was examined by OR (95% CI).Results: The results showed no association between the level of detail and information recall.Conclusion: This novel study supports the potential of simple animations, and future research could advantageously investigate animations with more significant differences in level of detail. The results should be cautiously interpreted, as selection and information problems may have caused bias.