In today’s information age, in almost all areas of society the use of computers is a well-known and wide-spread method of seeking higher productivity and effectiveness. In most hospitals the Hospital Information System has been introduced. In nursing practice also, the needs for the use of computers to fulfill nurses’ responsibilities with greater results are growing rapidly. Patients who are now accustomed to the convenient functions of computers in their everyday life are losing interest in printed media, large-group education, and teacher-centered instruction. A new teaching method such as CAI, computer assisted instruction, should be applied in teaching and training patients.
Patient education that uses CAI has several benefits: Individualized instruction, cost-savings, time-savings, and repetitive and complete instruction based on the learners’ abilities, needs, and attitudes. Patient education using the CAI method can derive better teaching results by deriving stronger motivation on the part of the patient. In nursing practice, teaching diabetes patients how to inject insulin by themselves is one of the nurses’ major educational responsibilities. - Educating diabetes patients about the insulin-self- injection method is considered particularly compatible with CAI application.
The purpose of this study was to investigate diabetes patient education, to find strategies for the use of CAI, and to design courseware for insulin-self-injection.
In designing the courseware, Hannaffin & Peck’s instructional design theory (1988) was applied and the visual basic language was used. The goal of the instruction was to help diabetes patients and their families to become better informed about diabetes, to do accurate insulin-self-injection, and to cope successfully with the side -effects and complications.
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