title: A stories-based interactive DVD intended to help people with hypertension achieve blood pressure control through improved communication with their doctors.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA. cashton@tmhs.org
authors.forename: Carol M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ashton
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Houston
authors.forename: Jessica Hillman
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trobaugh
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Crenshaw
authors.forename: Nelda P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Wray
mesh_terms: 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