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The multimedia computer for office-based patient education: a systematic review
James L Wofford1, Edward D Smith, David P Miller
1Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Patient Education and Counseling
|November 1, 2005
Summary
Computer-assisted patient education shows potential for office efficiency. However, more evidence is needed on its impact on clinical outcomes before widespread adoption in healthcare settings.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Medical Education
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Multimedia computer use is common in education but rare for patient education.
- Computer-assisted patient education (CAPE) has potential in office settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on CAPE in office settings.
- To assess the impact of CAPE on various patient and system outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of RCTs from MEDLINE and Cochrane databases (search April 2004).
- Included 26 trials with diverse patient populations, including breast cancer.
- Analyzed outcome measures such as clinical indicators, knowledge, attitudes, decision-making, utilization, and costs.
Main Results:
- CAPE demonstrated potential for improving office efficiency.
- Commonly measured outcomes included knowledge retention and health attitudes.
- Reporting quality varied, with issues in randomization process and blinding of outcomes assessment.
Conclusions:
- CAPE shows promise for enhancing efficiency in healthcare offices.
- Further robust evidence on clinical outcome impact is required for broader acceptance.
- Methodological rigor in trials needs improvement for reliable assessment.