A stories-based interactive DVD intended to help people with hypertension achieve blood pressure control through improved communication with their doctors.
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to develop an interactive DVD to help African American and Caucasian American adults with hypertension learn how to become better communicators during medical interactions. Material was to be presented in several formats, including patients' narratives (stories).


METHODS
To develop the narratives we recruited members of the target audience and elicited stories and story units in focus groups, interviews, and seminars. Story units were ranked-ordered based on conformance with the theory of planned behavior and narrative qualities and then melded into cohesive stories. The stories were recounted by actors on the DVD.


RESULTS
55 adults (84% women; 93% African American) participated in a focus group, interview, or seminar; transcripts yielded 120 story units. The most highly rated units were woven into 11 stories. The six highest rated stories/actor-storytellers were selected for presentation on the DVD.


CONCLUSIONS
We achieved our goal of developing an easy-to-use, story-driven product that may teach adults how to talk effectively with their doctors about hypertension. The DVD's effectiveness should be tested in a randomized trial.


CONCLUSIONS
Behavioral interventions aimed at improving patients' ability to communicate during doctor visits may be useful adjuncts in the achievement of BP goals.
Ashton
Carol M
CM
The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA. cashton@tmhs.org
Houston
Thomas K
TK
Williams
Jessica Hillman
JH
Larkin
Damien
D
Trobaugh
John
J
Crenshaw
Katie
K
Wray
Nelda P
NP
D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000407:Alabama; D019034:CD-I; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D044465:White People