Keywords

Digital health, Learning styles, Nursing informatics, Patient education, Telemedicine

 

Authors

  1. Zhitomirsky, Yakov MPH, RN
  2. Aharony, Noa PhD

Abstract

This study examined the impact of digital training instrument based on multimodal learning approach on surgical ward hospitalized patient education-related variables. The study was conducted as a multisite study in a large medical center as a two-arm, controlled trial with randomized cluster sampling. All patients meeting the inclusion criteria were offered the opportunity to participate. The control group (n = 40) received nurse explanation on home self-injection of enoxaparin sodium, whereas the intervention group (n = 40) received a tablet for multimodal learning specifically developed for this study. All participants completed before-and-after questionnaires evaluating knowledge acquisition, change in self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction. Results showed that the intervention group gained significantly more knowledge than the control group (P < .01). There was no significant difference in the level of self-efficacy change between the groups, and it was found that the control group patients were more satisfied with the training process (P = .01). This study shows that the use of a digital application for the benefit of patients' self-injection learning is effective in achieving educational goals such as knowledge acquisition and therefore can be a helpful resource for caregivers. Yet, these applications are not a substitute for attention provided by professionals, which is highly valued by patients.