DIABETES COMPUTER HEALTH PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

Multimedia computer-based technologies are reshaping the practice of diabetes patient education. We propose to develop a computer-based performance assessment to be targeted for children with diabetes (age 10-17) that will provide a comprehensive measure of patient diabetes health knowledge and skills. The assessment will take the form of rich multimedia dramatized simulations in which a series of decisions and observations must be made. The events will be administered using the Computer Performance Based Assessment system developed by Videodiscovery, Inc. The technology uses distributed Linux based server appliances that provide high bandwidth access to streaming video and text within an institution's network. All logical branching, questions, scoring, and student record keeping are stored in the database on the server. Teachers or medical professionals can review student responses and view a summary performance profile for skill and knowledge objectives. In Phase II, the Diabetes Computer Health Performance Assessment will be field tested in a randomized clinical trial and, after final revisions, will be sold directly to diabetes centers, diabetes educators, or persons with diabetes as a online subscription service or stand-alone CD-ROM.