A program to educate woman who test positive for the hepatitis B virus during the perinatal period.

This computerized patient education program targeted the woman's self-identified learning needs and educated her about etiology, prognosis, and risk of transmission to the infant and other contacts. The educational program is an 18-page color slide presentation intended to be viewed jointly by the nurse and patient during a home visit. It uses strategies known to be effective for women with low literacy skills; the nurse uses this as an adjunct teaching tool to traditional one-on-one verbal instruction. Because many women who test positive for hepatitis B surface antigen during the perinatal period lack basic knowledge regarding the hepatitis B virus, it is essential that nurses teach this important information to at-risk populations.