Computer-based patient education: observations on effective communication in the clinical setting.

Computer-based patient education materials are becoming more widely used in an attempt to increase the efficacy and efficiency of the delivery of health care. This paper discusses the authors' experiences in designing and implementing interactive multimedia presentations for patient education in an orthopaedic surgery office setting. Content must be chosen carefully to effectively educate without alienating the patient; simple graphics and animation are best for conveying complex medical and surgical concepts. The interface must be simple; both mouse input and touchscreen have proven acceptable and require minimal instruction. Improvements in program design will result in task-oriented evaluation systems that allow the patient to use the information gained to demonstrate understanding.