Avatar-based interactive ileostomy education in hospitalized patients.

Computer-assisted education can be an effective means for patient engagement and empowerment however the feasibility of postoperative computer-assisted ileostomy education has not been studied systematically. The purpose of this study was to assess feasibility and patient acceptance of tablet-based interactive ileostomy education in patients with new stomas, and to evaluate the impact of this education modality on knowledge and self-efficacy. An interactive multimedia education for ileostomy management guided by adult learning theories was tested in 15 hospitalized patients with new ileostomies. After using the avatar-based education, the ileostomy knowledge score improved from 27.8±3.4 to 31.3±1.5 (p<0.002) and stoma care self-efficacy improved from 78.4±22.7 to 92.7±14.1 (p<0.05). Attitudinal surveys and qualitative interviews demonstrated high level of acceptance and provided valuable feedback for future improvements. We concluded that avatar-based interactive instruction can potentially be an effective means to deliver health education to hospitalized patients.