Paper
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Effects of Multimedia Patient Teaching for Diabetic Self-Care
Mei-Ling Yeh, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, National Taipei College of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan, Ju-Ping Huang, MSN, RN, Department of Nursing, Tajen University, Pingtung, Taiwan, and Hsing-Hsia Chen, PhD, Department of Applied Mathematics, Chung-Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| Learning Objective #1: understand the multimedia can serve as a choice for patients to improve their disease-related knowledge; and
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| Learning Objective #2: understand that strengthening patients' motivation and making preparation, nursing professionals are supposed to help them to build a regular exercise habit in their daily life.
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The worldwide lengthening of human life expectancy and corresponding lifestyle changes have led to an increase in the number of diabetic patients in all developed countries. Since diabetes is a chronic disease, patients must be equipped with information about it for adequate self-care. This study aimed to use interactive multimedia of traditional/modern to perform patient self-directed learning in diabetic patients and to evaluate improvements in patients' knowledge of diabetes, ability to control blood sugar levels, and self-care. An experimental research was designed with a total of 60 subjects, 30 in an experimental and 30 in a control group. The control group received a routine 3-month program of patient education, whereas the experimental group received patient teaching in terms of interactive multimedia with regard to diabetes. Data were collected before and after the teaching intervention, and compared to evaluate the effects of the programs on the patients' blood sugar control, knowledge of diabetes, and self-care. The results showed the experimental group demonstrated greater improvement in understanding of diabetes than the control group (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in blood sugar levels (P > 0.05) and self-care (P > 0.05) between the two groups. Applying the device of the multimedia in a patient self-directed learning program of diabetic self-care is effective to raise patients' knowledge with regard to diabetes. Most subjects in the experimental group were highly appreciative of the multimedia of traditional/modern medicine. Patients may need more time, however, to implement more effective blood sugar control and self-care activities after receiving instruction.