Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108382

Barbara I. Cowan, MPH, Rose Marie Scissons, MA, MLIS, and Richard A. Kreutzer, MD. California Department of Health Services, Environmental Health Investigations Branch, P Building, 3rd Floor, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA 94804-6403, (510) 620-3640, bcowan1@dhs.ca.gov

Computer-based learning interventions have proven advantageous in treating health problems that require active participation of patients and/or family members. For asthma, multimedia learning as a supplement to conventional care has been demonstrated to significantly increase knowledge. California Breathing, an asthma initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Health Services, has developed a web-based multimedia tool to provide innovative, user-friendly answers to frequently asked questions about asthma that are sensitive to language, culture, and literacy. Ranging from forty-five seconds to several minutes, the multimedia presentations are content-targeted to multiple audiences including: people with asthma and families; providers of care to people with asthma; health educators; community health workers; and school-based health personnel. Evidenced-based content was adapted from guidelines by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the Chicago Asthma Consortium and California Breathing publications. Topics presently include streaming video demonstrations of inhaler, nebulizer, and peak flow meter use, explanations of environmental triggers, causes of asthma, mold in the home, and more. Also included are bibliographies and resource lists, by topic and target audience. Options for receiving information include: streaming video in English, streaming video with voice-over in multiple languages, audio only, and printable text only. The tool also can be used as a “knowledge base” for people staffing a telephone asthma assistance line. Preliminary evaluation results will be presented, based on user evaluations of content and functionality, reported behavior change, and increase of asthma knowledge.

Learning Objectives: At conclusion of this session, participants will be able to

(
• Describe four advantages of using a web-based multimedia tool for answering frequently asked questions (FAQ) about asthma; (
• Articulate four key points of access critical to presenting complex health promotion and disease management information to a diverse range of users; (
• Identify a methodology for development of the tool; and (
• Assess the potential for its applicability in their own public health settings.

Keywords: Health Education Strategies, Asthma

Related Web page: www.californiabreathing.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.