Development and testing of a CD-ROM program for improving adolescent knowledge of inflammatory bowel disease.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to design a theory-based educational program for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using an interactive multimedia CD-ROM and to test its effectiveness in improving knowledge in IBD.


METHODS
Curriculum-based instruction using educational theory and principles was designed for adolescents on an interactive multimedia CD-ROM. Twenty subjects completed summative evaluation of the CD-ROM measuring gain in knowledge about IBD immediately and 9 months after instruction.


RESULTS
Subjects found the CD-ROM to be informative, appealing, and easy to use. The mean baseline score of the adolescents on the Crohn's and Colitis Knowledge questionnaire was 12.2 (standard deviation 5.14, range 3-24). After an average of 30 minutes of self-directed learning, adolescent subjects increased their posttest score to a mean of 19.8, a gain of 7.6 points over baseline (95% confidence interval 5.2-10.1, P < 0.0001). Knowledge of medications, disease complications, and gastrointestinal structure and function was gained and retained upon retesting at 9 months with a mean Crohn's and Colitis Knowledge questionnaire score of 17.5 (standard deviation 3.9, range 12-26), which was still an improvement over the mean pretest knowledge score of 12.2 (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents with IBD have low baseline knowledge about their disease. A rigorously developed interactive educational tool is now available for instructing adolescent patients about their IBD.
Boamah
Lynelle M
LM
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA. lynelle.boamah@med.navy.mil
Bohren
Janet R
JR
Pentiuk
Scott
S
Baker
Raymond
R
Yi
Michael
M
Moyer
M Susan
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D016251:CD-ROM; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; D008297:Male; D019212:Multimedia; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012984:Software; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires