The Effectiveness of a Self-Care Management Interactive Multimedia Module

Purpose/Objectives: To develop and test an interactive multimedia module prototype designed to accommodate adults with limited literacy and without computer skills.

Design: Experimental, randomized, controlled, pretest, post-test.

Setting: Cancer treatment centers in California, Louisiana (pilot). New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Sample: Outpatients who were at least 18 years old with a minimum fifth-grade reading level; 86 experimental treatment, 88 control.

Methods: Experimental treatment involved use of the interactive multimedia module; the control group received customary Instruction.

Findings: As compared to the control group, subjects in the experimental group had significant improvement (p = 0.0001; 257% gain) in self-care ability regardless of age, sex race, education, geographic location, reading ability, computer experience, or preferred learning style; a 6.515% increase in fatigue content covered and 16.775% Increase in instructional duration; and significantly greater benefit from sleep-related activities and a consistent, positive pattern of self-care behavior.

Conclusions: The program is instructionally effective, appropriate for a wide and geographically diverse audience, and feasible for use in the ambulatory setting.

Implictions for Practice: The interactive multimedia module is an effective, self-directed resource for individualized patient fatigue education.