Evaluation of a computer based education lesson for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

A computer based education (CBE) lesson was developed for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and evaluated using a controlled experiment. There were statistically significant differences in the CBE group compared with controls in knowledge gained (p less than 0.01), improved outlook on life (p less than 0.01), hopefulness of a good prognosis (p less than 0.01), decreased belief in the role of luck or fate in determining their health (p less than 0.05) and reported increase in use of behaviors such as joint protection (p less than 0.02) and rest (p less than 0.05). The lesson was accepted and enjoyed by the patients.