DUE TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS' LIMITED TIME AND LACK OF TRAINING IN EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES, AND TO THE ABSENCE OF TEACHING MATERIALS DESIGNED TO COMPENSATE FOR DECLINING SENSORY OR COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF THE ELDERLY, MANY OLDER PERSONS DO NOT ATTAIN THE

DUE TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS' LIMITED TIME AND LACK OF TRAINING IN EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES, AND TO THE ABSENCE OF TEACHING MATERIALS DESIGNED TO COMPENSATE FOR DECLINING SENSORY OR COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF THE ELDERLY, MANY OLDER PERSONS DO NOT ATTAIN THE COMPETENCE TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE AND HEALTH PROMOTION. THIS PROJECT ENTAILS DEVELOPING INTERACTIVE VIDEO SELF-CARE AND HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMS FOR THE ELDERLY. SPECIFICALLY, A CAI/VIDEO PROTOTYPE ON PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS WILL BE DESIGNED. TO BE DEVELOPED AND ASSESSED ARE POPULATION NEEDS, TEACHING OBJECTIVES, CRITERION MEASURES, AND SCRIPT, GRAPHICS, AND SEQUENCE OF A TWENTY-MINUTE MODULE BASED ON INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS DESIGN APPROACH WITHIN AN OPERANT CONDITIONING FRAMEWORK. FORMATIVE EVALUATION WILL INVOLVE ELDERLY SUBJECTS FROM A HEALTH GROUP ASSOCIATION. PHASE I RESULTS INCLUDE SCRIPT, GRAPHICS, AND AUDIO FOR VIDEOTAPE. PHASE II POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE VIDEOTAPE TO VIDEODISC CONVERSION AND AN INTERACTIVE MICROCOMPUTER SCRIPT PROGRAM. THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROTOTYPE, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE, BEHAVIORAL, AND ATTITUDINAL SKILLS OF THE ELDERLY IN A VARIETY OF SELF-CARE/HEALTH PROMOTION AREAS. INTERACTIVE VIDEODISCS COULD BE MARKETED COMMERCIALLY TO VIDEO AND COMPUTER INDUSTRIES, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, HEALTH EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS, HOSPITAL CORPORATIONS, PHARMACY CHAINS, THE HOME HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.