Participant satisfaction in an adult telehealth education program using interactive compressed video delivery methods in rural Arkansas.
BACKGROUND
Rural Americans have less access than their urban counterparts to health promotion information.


OBJECTIVE
To assess differences in program satisfaction associated with age, gender, ethnicity, community size, and education among participants in an Arkansas adult telehealth education program that utilized interactive video technology.


METHODS
A program evaluation instrument was administered to a convenience sample of 2567 people who participated in the program from 1996 through 1999.


RESULTS
The evaluation instrument demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85) and construct validity. Older adults, blacks, American Indians, and participants from smaller rural communities and with a high school degree or less had significantly greater satisfaction (P < .001 to P = .03).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that socioeconomic and demographic factors can affect satisfaction with telehealth education programs.
Bynum
Ann B
AB
Rural Hospital Program, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 1123 South University Ave, Suite 400, Slot 599A, Little Rock, AR 72204-1611, USA. BynumCarolA@uams.edu
Cranford
Charles O
CO
Irwin
Cathy A
CA
Denny
George S
GS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001113:Area Health Education Centers; D001131:Arkansas; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003256:Community Participation; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D013685:Telecommunications; D014743:Videotape Recording