Expert Pediatric Assessment Health Supervision Software with Interactive Educational Multimedia: Automated Health Evaluation and Health Promotion for Parents of Children From Birth to Age 10

10/31/96

A computer can:

• Obtain a thorough screening and health history, assess preventive care, evaluate status at each well-child visit
• Identify and prioritize problem areas and health needs
• Provide problem-specific health guidance and local referrals
• Give selective age-specific anticipatory guidance for well-child visits
• Administer pertinent, succinct health education videos
• Dispense specific, personalized printed take-home materials
• Provide an assessment and problem list for the pediatrician's evaluation

Features of effective automated health assessment and feedback:

• Different health evaluation question schemes for application at different ages.
• Questions modifiable by the pediatrician, who may also add questions to the appraisal.
• Pre-interview health evaluation to expedite pediatrician's provision of health services.
• Medical record data links to and from medical office information systems.
• Collection of epidemiological and health data for practice research or survey purposes.

From the expert automated health evaluation, the following can be printed for the parent:

• Specific health observations and recommendations.
• Advice to call specific 800-phone numbers for referrals and assistance.
• Referrals to certain local resources for specific health services.
• Referrals to call certain local telephone prerecorded health messages.
• Referrals to use specific health education computer-assisted instruction programs.
• Name of pediatrician personalized on all patient feedback on specific subjects.

Capabilities of clinical software:

• Interview and educational presentations introduced by the pediatrician personally on video.
• Interview and educational feedback specific for gender and race.
• Documentation by database archiving and retrieval of health maintenance and well-child patient data.
• Clinician's synopsis of a health assessment includes identified, prioritized problem list requiring intervention.

Features of effective automated health education and instructional multimedia:

• Prioritized patient education video multimedia presentations:
  • Identified health problems and needs prioritized by risk.
  • Educational feedback presented with highest priority first.
  • Age-specific and gender-specific anticipatory guidance and health education.
• Independent access to patient education video multimedia library

Customization of software should allow all aspects of educational feedback to be completely adaptable and modifiable according to specifications of the pediatrician:

• Phone numbers of referrals to local resources for specific services.
• Referrals to call local telephone prerecorded health message services.
• Pediatrician may specify advice and counseling he/she prefers to do, and that delegated to multimedia.
• Pediatrician may delete any video segments and printed materials not desired.
• Pediatrician may edit or add printed materials as desired.

Advantages of video multimedia:

• The combination of visual presentation with audio explanation makes information quickly and easily understandable -- attention is focused.
• No interpersonal stress or embarrassment.
• Over 3 dozen studies show: retention increased more than 25%, and learning time reduced by 50%.

Automated health education and instruction:

• is an enjoyable method of health education.
• facilitates acceptance and retention of health concepts.
• increases understanding of disease management and self-help.
• may result in better health behaviors and improved compliance.
• is cost-effective and promotes quality care to more patients.
• reduces professional counseling time by the physician.
• solves some problems and limitations in care delivery.