Tablet Computer Use at the Bedside in a New Patient/Family Education Program

Abstract

This article discusses various educational interventions implemented in a new patient/family education program at the University of South Alabama Children's & Women's Hospital in Mobile, Alabama, for patients and family members of those newly diagnosed with pediatric cancer and other chronic illnesses. Tablet computers were made available to access reputable, easy to understand health resources during the educational processes upon diagnosis and continued treatment at the hospital. MedlinePlus, Patient Education Institute's X-Plain videos and other National Library of Medicine resources were available at the bedside and while receiving chemotherapy infusions. Surveys were developed to determine the efficacy of the educational interventions.

Validating Effective Interventions in Patient/Family Education Using Tablet Computers

“…It is interesting to note that those who knew quite a bit or completely about the condition, procedure or care totaled 36% but there was 92.6% agreement that the videos did help in the comprehension of the topic. The data from the previous project also confirmed that this educational modality is effective and improves comprehension of information and should be incorporated as an effective intervention in patient education (1). This intervention addresses low literacy issues and engages the patient in e-learning.…”

“…With the increased number of hospital units involved in this project, data was needed to determine if the tablets and resources would be as effective as in the previous study with fewer units. To evaluate the efficacy of the interventions and resources used and the usage patterns of all the units involved, the same survey instruments were used (1). The survey, however, would be completed online using a web based application called REDCap instead of a paper version.…”

“…Patient education comes in many forms and patients like to refer to printed resources such as brochures or pamphlets. In the previous project using the tablets and print materials, 50% of family members indicated they used the print brochures and pamphlets that were available to them and 27% indicated they used print health magazines (1). A variety of brochures and pamphlets were again available to distribute to patients describing the resources from NLM and NIH.…”

“…The X-Plain® videos produced by the Patient Education Institute were an added benefit to the educational resources available on the tablets. The video subscription was implemented with the first project and proved to be extremely helpful in patient education (1). The videos are short in length, use simple language and animation and are culturally diverse.…”

“…Access to quality health information using tablet computers at the bedside at the University of South Alabama (USA) Children's & Women's Hospital has greatly assisted parents and their families to locate information on their or their child's condition, medications, and home-based procedures from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) resources (1). The seeds of this project were established from a National Network of Libraries of Medicine Southeastern Atlantic (NNLM SEA) Technology Improvement Award in 2016 that purchased Android tablet computers and rolling bedside stands for patient education within the Pediatric and USS HOPE infusion units of the USA Children's & Women's Hospital.…”