title: An online approach to providing chronic illness self-management information.
abstract: The purpose of this article was to describe an online approach to providing chronic illness self-management information to rural women with chronic illness. To self-manage chronic illness, individuals require information about their conditions. For those in rural areas who have limited access to health services, computer-based interventions are a means of providing this information. Participants were randomly assigned either to an 11-week computer intervention in which they completed nine online self-study health teaching units related to self-management, or to a control group. The health teaching units were positively rated as being helpful in managing their chronic illnesses, with scores ranging from 4.09 to 4.84 on a six-point scale. Perceptions of computer skills increased significantly for the intervention group, with no increase in the control group. Computer-based programs can be an effective approach to providing health information to rural women with chronic conditions that will assist them in their self-management efforts.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cudney
authors.forename: Clarann
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weinert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036301:Qualitative Research; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*