242904 Tailored DVDs: A novel strategy for educating racially and ethnically diverse older adults about their medicines

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 10:48 AM

Kate L. Lapane, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Roberta Goldman, PhD , Center for Primary Care and Prevention, Brown University, Pawtucket, RI
Brian Quilliam, PhD , Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy, Kingston, RI
Christine Motzkus-Feagans, MPH , Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Anne L. Hume, PharmD, FCCP, BC , College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
Charles B. Eaton, MD , Center for Primary Care and Prevention, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket, RI
Purpose: To create individualized, culturally- and linguistically-inclusive medication education materials for older adults from diverse backgrounds tailored to electronic medication information

Background: Geriatric experts rank drug therapy management as the top condition in need of targeted improvement in the elderly.

Methods: We used a mixed-method design including a systematic review, analysis of existing data, a telephone survey (n=326), and exploratory focus groups stratified by race/ethnicity and language spoken (11 focus groups; n=106) to identify what information about medications older adults need, want to learn, and in what format. We evaluated preliminary reactions to three DVDs at low-income senior community centers (2 focus groups; n=16), finalized the intervention, and recruited 140 participants from community settings and clinics for a feasibility study to evaluate changes in knowledge, behaviors, and self-efficacy before and after DVD viewing.

Results: Over 90% of participants rated the length of the DVDs as "just right", 76% reported they were helpful, with ~40% sharing with family members and friends and 48.4% watching the DVDs more than one time. Changes in knowledge and behaviors were realized for some of the diseases/conditions, yet small sample sizes limited ability to detect differences for others.

Conclusion: Tailored medication education materials in English/ Spanish DVD and print material format are suitable for low-literate audiences, acceptable to older adults, and feasible to implement using health IT. Virtually all U.S. households have a television, with most having a DVD player. DVD segments can be used in internet links, physician office-based television, and consumer health IT applications.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics

Learning Objectives:
1. To describe the development of individualized, culturally- and linguistically-inclusive medication education materials for older adults from diverse backgrounds tailored to electronic medication information 2. To describe preliminary findings from a field test of the intervention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. Lapane is an epidemiologist who has over 10 years experience designing and implementing health IT solutions for older adults.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Technology and Aging
See more of: Aging & Public Health