title: An educational intervention for advance directives.
abstract: In spite of the passage of the Patient Self-Determination Act in 1991, research indicates that providing information alone has not brought about a significant increase in the completion rates of advance directive (AD) documents. The purpose of this pilot study was to design, implement, and evaluate an interactive multimedia CD-ROM educational program on AD. Study subjects consisted of 31 volunteer elderly men and women in a senior citizens center. An interactive multimedia CD-ROM program was developed in phase I of the study. Subjects were administered on-line pretests and posttests. The effectiveness of the CD-ROM intervention was measured by AD attitude and knowledge changes. A program satisfaction scale was used, and an observer rated the subjects' use of the computer program. Subjects had a statistically significant change in posttest knowledge scores and a high degree of satisfaction and ease in using the computer program. The use of an interactive multimedia CD-ROM program with a touch-sensitive monitor to operate a computer-based AD program for senior citizens shows future promise.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02167, USA.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chiriboga
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009729:Nursing / Q000379:methods; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012984:Software; D013664:Teaching Materials