Paper
Sunday, November 4, 2007
162
Impact of a Computer-Based Intervention on Chronic Illness Management
Clarann Weinert, SC, PhD, RN, FAAN, College of Nursing, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA and Wade G. Hill, RN, PhD, 207 Sherrick Hall, Montana State University College of Nursing, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: identify psychosocial variables that are indicators of chronic illness management.
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| Learning Objective #2: identify which pyschosocial variables are most ammenable to the computer intervention. |
Objective: Women to Women (WTW) is an innovative computer-based intervention for
conducting virtual support groups and providing health education. The objective of this
presentation is to examine the effects of the intervention on measures of psychosocial health over
time.
Design: Repeated measures of seven psychosocial health outcomes were taken at six points
across 24 months. Differences between the intervention group (n = 82) and the control group (n =
69) were examined.
Sample/Setting: Data collection was concluded in June, 2006. The participants had a mean age
of 53.8, 15 years education, a variety of chronic health conditions, modest incomes and lived in
rural areas of five western states.
Variables: The psychosocial health outcomes were considered to be amenable to the intervention
and proxy indicators of adaptation to chronic illness. They included: social support, self-esteem,
empowerment, self-efficacy, depression, loneliness, and stress
Findings: Preliminary results, i.e., baseline to the end of the intervention, for the ANOVAs
indicated that significant time * treatment interactions exist for self-esteem (F(1,98) = 5.97, (p =
.016), social support (F(1,98) = 4.43, (p = .038), and empowerment (F(1,98) = 6.06, (p = .016).
This suggests that the group scores changed differently across time.
Conclusions: The computer-based intervention appears to contribute to improved self-esteem,
social support, and empowerment. Descriptive, but non-significant differences, were found for
depression, loneliness, self-efficacy, and stress.
Implications: As the project moves forward, data-based information will play a major role in the
refinement of the length and content of the intervention. It is essential that the impact on
adaptation to chronic illness be firmly demonstrated prior to moving this type of computer-based
program into clinical practice. The WTW project is making a difference in women's psychosocial
health, providing impetus to researchers and clinicians interested in harnessing technology to
assist people in adapting to chronic illness.