The effect of electronic package on satisfaction in multiple sclerosis patients.
BACKGROUND
Traditional teaching methods used in medical education cannot wholly respond to the rapid changes and growth of information as well as continuous changes in the educational needs of society, especially patients with chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Therefore, this study was designed with the aim of examining the effect of electronic package on satisfaction in MS patients.


METHODS
The research was a quasi-experimental study. It was carried out at the MS Kashani Center affiliated to the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, in 2013. One hundred twenty-eight patients with MS were allocated randomly into two equal groups of 64 each for education by booklet (control) and education by multimedia software (experimental) for 2 weeks. Data were collected by processing questionnaires, which consisted of questions about satisfaction (17 items) and questions about demographic and disease characteristics (9 items), answered by both groups before and 2 weeks after education. SPSS version 14 (DARYA software, Iran) was used to conduct statistical tests such as the independent t-test and the paired t-test for analyzing the data. The statistical significance level was less than 0.05.


RESULTS
The results show that there was not any significant difference between the satisfaction scores of the electronic package and control groups before intervention, but that there was a significant difference after 2 weeks' intervention (P = 0.010).


CONCLUSIONS
The electronic programs comprised an attractive education method. So this technology can increase motivation in MS patients to study more about the disease process.
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Shahla
S
Mohamadirizi
Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Alzahra Hospital, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Vahid
V
Shaygannejad
Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Soheila
S
Mohamadirizi
Department of Physical Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Saeid
S
Khosrawi
Education; Iran; electronic; multiple sclerosis; patient satisfaction; satisfaction