INTERACTIVE VIDEODISC AND CANCER PREVENTION

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE INTERACTIVE VIDEO PROGRAM AS AN INTERVENTION TOOL TO MODIFY PERSONAL LIFESTYLE FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO AN INCREASED RISK OF CANCER. TOPICS TO BE INCLUDED ON THE DISC ARE: TOBACCO PRODUCTS, DIET RELATED CANCER RISK FACTORS, OCCUPATIONAL FACTORS, EARLY DETECTION TECHNIQUES, PERSONAL CANCER RISK APPRAISAL WITH PRINTOUT, AND A BULLETIN BOARD FOR MESSAGES GERMANE TO THE SITE WHERE THE INTERACTIVE STATION IS INSTALLED. THE AIM IS TO ORIENT THE USER TO CANCER RISK FACTORS AND MODEL OR OTHERWISE ELICIT BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDE CHANGES. THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF THE PROTOTYPE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE USE OF FOCUS GROUPS EVALUATION THE SYSTEM AND ITS CONTENT. FOCUS GROUPS WILL INCLUDE CANCER PATIENTS, PEOPLE IN GROUP TREATMENT SETTINGS (EG., SMOKING CESSATION GROUP), FAMILY MEMBERS, POPULATION SUBGROUPS AT RISK FOR CANCER, AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. THIS FORMATIVE EVALUATION WILL BE USED TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCT AND TO ASCERTAIN THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING A LONGITUDINAL STUDY. A SUMMATIVE EVALUATION IS PLANNED IN PHASE II, ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERACTIVE VIDEODISC ON ALTERING PATIENT BEHAVIOR TOWARD REDUCING THE RISK OF CANCER. USERS WILL BE ASKED TO ASSESS ACCURACY AND RELEVANCE OF INFORMATION PRESENTED EASE OF UNDERSTANDING PRESENTATIONS; EASE OF OPERATION AND CONTROL OF DELIVERY; SYSTEM APPROPRIATENESS OF THE SYSTEM FOR A GIVEN SETTING; EXTENT TO WHICH THE PRESENTATION HAS MOTIVATED THE USER TOWARD PREVENTIVE HEALTH BEHAVIORS RELEVANCE. THE SYSTEM WILL BE DEMONSTRATED TO JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOMS, NURSING AND MEDICAL SCHOOLS, PRIVATE PRACTICE MEDICAL OFFICES, PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICES, AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES.