Videotape versus computer interactive education in alcoholic and nonalcoholic controls

Abstract

Few studies have evaluated the ability of the alcoholic patient to learn treatment-related information and all have involved conventional educational modalities such as videotape or lecture. Since computer interactive (CI) programs allow for individualization, feedback, and active learning, we were interested in determining whether CI would prove to be a more effective educational/treatment modality for male alcoholic patients than the conventional videotape (V) modality. The current study compared the relative effectiveness of the CI and V educational interventions for VA alcoholic patients and a cognitively and sociodemographically matched sample of nonalcoholic VA patients. The 91 male alcoholic subjects (46 V, 45 CI) were lower socioeconomic outpatients in a VA Alcoholism Treatment program. Control subjects were 35 nonalcoholic men (18 V, 17 CI) attending an outpatient medical clinic at the same facility. All subjects were individually exposed in a single session to a 1 hr intervention on the Medical Effects of Alcohol. Baseline knowledge was measured prior to the intervention using a 21-item multiple choice test, while learning and retention were assessed with the same instrument 24 hr after the intervention. All four subgroups (two types of subjects x two types of intervention) identified approximately three more items correctly at the post-test than at baseline. Thus, neither alcoholics for nonalcoholics acquired more information when exposed to the CI intervention. Further, no differences were found overall in the learning of the alcoholic and nonalcoholic subjects. The implications of these findings and their limitations are discussed.