Watch, Discover, Think, and Act: evaluation of computer-assisted instruction to improve asthma self-management in inner-city children

An interactive multimedia computer game to enhance self-management skills a nd thereby improve asthma outcomes in inner city children with asthma was e valuated. Subjects aged 6-17 were recruited from four pediatric practices a nd randomly assigned to the computer intervention condition or to the usual -care comparison. The main character in the game could match the subject on gender and ethnicity. Characteristics of the protagonist's asthma were tai lored to be like those of the subject, Subjects played the computer game as part of regular asthma visits. Time between pre- and post-test varied from 4 to 15.6 months (mean, 7.6 months). Analysis of covariance, with pre-test scores, age, and asthma severity as covariates, found that the interventio n was associated with fewer hospitalizations, better symptom scores, increa sed functional status, greater knowledge of asthma management, and better c hild self-management behavior for those in the intervention condition. Inte ractions with covariates were found and discussed in terms of variable effi cacy of the intervention. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd, All rights reserved.