title: Utilizing computerized entertainment education in the development of decision aids for lower literate and naïve computer users.
abstract: Decision aids have been developed by using various delivery methods, including interactive computer programs. Such programs, however, still rely heavily on written information, health and digital literacy, and reading ease. We describe an approach to overcome these potential barriers for low-literate, underserved populations by making design considerations for poor readers and naïve computer users and by using concepts from entertainment education to engage the user and to contextualize the content for the user. The system design goals are to make the program both didactic and entertaining and the navigation and graphical user interface as simple as possible. One entertainment education strategy, the soap opera, is linked seamlessly to interactive learning modules to enhance the content of the soap opera episodes. The edutainment decision aid model (EDAM) guides developers through the design process. Although designing patient decision aids that are educational, entertaining, and targeted toward poor readers and those with limited computer skills is a complex task, it is a promising strategy for aiding this population. Entertainment education may be a highly effective approach to promoting informed decision making for patients with low health literacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Houston Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77098, USA. mariaj@bcm.edu
authors.forename: Maria L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Jibaja-Weiss
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Volk
mesh_terms: D003197:Computer Literacy; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004324:Drama; D004522:Educational Status; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D019212:Multimedia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011932:Reading; D018570:Risk Assessment; D040241:Social Marketing; D014481:United States; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*