title: Effects of using online narrative and didactic information on healthcare participation for breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of online narrative and didactic information on breast cancer patients' healthcare participation and the interaction effects of race.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  353 breast cancer patients (111 African Americans) using an eHealth program with narratives (audiovisual and text) and didactic information (text only).
  
  
  METHODS
  healthcare participation scale (0, 4 months), online information use.
  
  
  METHODS
  hierarchical regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Narrative (beta=0.123, p<0.01) and didactic (beta=0.104, p<0.05) information use had independent and positive effects on healthcare participation. Effects of both were significantly greater for African Americans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings are consistent with and advance prior research on online learning processes and outcomes for breast cancer patients: (1) benefits accrue with using a variety of online learning tools; (2) African Americans use and benefit more from online narrative and didactic information than do Caucasians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  eHealth programs should provide both didactic and narrative information-especially for African Americans and might consider making greater use of interactive and audiovisual formats. As patients increasingly use of the web for cancer information, clinicians should provide lists of web high quality resources that provide both narrative and didactic information.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53726, United States. mewise@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Meg
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: Jeong Yeob
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Bret
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McTavish
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gustafson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data