Using information technology for patient education: realizing surplus value?

• Published in: Patient education and counseling Vol. 54; no. 2; pp. 187 - 195
• Main Authors: Stoop, Arjen P, van’t Riet, Annemarie, Berg, Marc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-08-2004
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitude to Computers; Attitude to Health; Child; Computer Literacy; Computer-Assisted Instruction - methods; Computer-Assisted Instruction - standards; Computer-based patient information systems; Confidentiality; Educational Technology - methods; Educational Technology - standards; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Information technology; Male; Models, Educational; Needs Assessment; Netherlands; Nursing; Patient education; Patient Education as Topic - methods; Patient Education as Topic - standards; Physicians, Family - psychology; Pilot Projects; Program Evaluation; Qualitative Research; Surveys and Questionnaires; Technology Assessment, Biomedical; User-Computer Interface; Netherlands; Computer-based patient information systems; Information technology; Patient education
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/S0738-3991(03)00211-8

Computer-based patient information systems are introduced to replace traditional forms of patient education like brochures, leaflets, videotapes and, to a certain extent, face-to-face communication. In this paper, we claim that though computer-based patient information systems potentially have many advantages compared to traditional means, the surplus value of these systems is much harder to realize than often expected. By reporting on two computer-based patient information systems, both found to be unsuccessful, we will show that building computer-based patient information systems for patient education requires a thorough analysis of the advantages and limitations of IT compared to traditional forms of patient education. When this condition is fulfilled, however, these systems have the potential to improve health status and to be a valuable supplement to (rather than a substitute for) traditional means of patient education.