Colorectal Cancer: A Multimedia Information Prescription

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Health Mark Multimedia will develop a prototype multimedia education and decision-making program for colorectal cancer patients and their family members. The product will provide information needed after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, decision aids to assist the newly diagnosed patient in working with the health care team in the treatment decision process and interactive skill demonstrations to teach and reinforce skills for physical management of the disease. The program will be designed as "information therapy" to be prescribed by health care professionals caring for colorectal cancer patients. In Phase I, the information and skill needs of patients will be translated into an interactive prototype that will be tested for usability and for knowledge and self-efficacy gains. The patient CD-ROM will be reviewed by health care professionals to determine specific methods for assisting a professional in suggesting all of part of a product to a patient as information therapy. In Phase II, the full patient CD-ROM and accompanying health care professionals' guide to using the product to increase patient involvement in treatment decisions and self-care will be developed. The effectiveness of the product in increasing patient knowledge, decisional self-efficacy and self-care skills will be determined.