A multimedia diabetes education program (MDEP) using plain language and clear concepts

Evidence suggests that patients with low health literacy and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) may not be fully benefiting from DM education. In a needs assessment of diabetics at a federally qualified health center, we found that 47% of diabetics were unable to tell us what diabetes is, despite having received diabetes education. Most DM education materials introduce too much information, present concepts in an overly complex manner, and use language that is for individuals with higher literacy. Print materials are often limited in their ability to reach patients with varying literacy levels and to community complex concepts. Multimedia programs combine text, sound, graphics, and video, which serve to reinforce and complement one another to facilitate learning and maintain audience interest. We developed and tested a multimedia diabetes education program (MDEP) in English and Spanish using plain language and clear concepts for patients across all literacy levels. The MDEP was designed to teach patients about their disease, self-management behaviors, and the benefits of self-management behaviors.