A diabetes education multimedia program in the waiting room setting

INTRODUCTION This study evaluated the impact of a waiting room-administered, low-literacy, computer multimedia diabetes education program on patient self-management and provider intensification of therapy. METHODS In this randomized, controlled trial, 129 participants either viewed a computer multimedia education program (intervention group) or read an educational brochure (control group) while in the waiting room. Participants were uninsured, primarily ethnic minority adults with type 2 diabetes receiving care from a county clinic in Chicago, Illinois. Wilcoxon test, t-test, and linear mixed model analyses evaluated changes in diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, behaviors, medications prescribed, hemoglobin A1c (HbA(1c)), and blood pressure levels over 3 months. RESULTS During the study period, there was an increase in the number of oral diabetes medications prescribed over three months to multimedia users compared with those in the control group (P=0.017). HbA(1c) declined by 1.5 in the multimedia group versus 0.8 in the control group (P=0.06). There were no differences between groups in changes in blood pressure levels, self-efficacy, and most diabetes-related behaviors. Self-reported exercise increased in the control group compared with the multimedia group (0.9 days/week vs. 0.1 days/week, P=0.016). CONCLUSION Multimedia users received a greater intensification of diabetes therapy, but demonstrated no difference in self-management in comparison with those receiving educational brochures. The availability of a computer multimedia program in the waiting room appears to be a novel and acceptable approach in providing diabetes education for underserved populations.