Developing and Using Interactive Health CD-ROMs as a Complement to Primary Care: Lessons From Two Research Studies

King, Diane K. MS, OTR
Bull, Sheana Salyers PhD, MPH
Christiansen, Steve
Nelson, Candace MA
Strycker, Lisa A. MA
Toobert, Deborah PhD
Glasgow, Russell E. PhD

Address correspondence and requests for reprints to: Diane K. King, MS, OTR, Kaiser Permanente Clinical Research Unit, P.O. Box 378066, Denver, CO 80237.

Diane K. King, MS, OTR, is a senior project manager; Candace Nelson, MA, is a senior research specialist; and Russell E. Glasgow, PhD, is a senior scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Clinical Research Unit in Denver, Colo. Sheana Salyers Bull, PhD, MPH, is an associate professor at the Colorado Health Outcomes Program of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. Steve Christiansen is president of C/J Media, Inc., in Eugene, Ore. Lisa A. Strycker, MA, is a research associate and Deborah Toobert, PhD, is a senior research scientist at the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene.

Diabetes Spectrum 17(4):p 234-242, Fall 2004.

Interactive health technologies (IHTs), whether used as an adjunct to clinical care or as a stand-alone program, provide a means to efficiently deliver both standardized information and tailored health interventions to a large number of patients. This article describes the benefits and drawbacks to the use of read-only memory compact disks (CD-ROMs) to facilitate diabetes self-management, using the experience from two efficacy trials with CD-ROMs as the primary modality for intervention. The CD-ROMs were designed to promote health behavior change and prevent complications by increasing attention to diabetes care guidelines and providing tailored self-management plans to patients with type 2 diabetes.

Lessons learned from these two studies are shared to answer the question: does the use of CD-ROMs as an intervention tool address the key barriers to using a self-management approach in primary care? We conclude by discussing the advantages and limitations of using CD-ROMs to deliver health interventions, along with recommendations for maximizing the potential of IHTs.