Current computer use by diabetes educators.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to ascertain diabetes educators' current use of computer technologies.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 279 randomly selected certified diabetes educators, all of whom were members of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. Participants were asked to complete the Attitudes Toward Patient Education Technology instrument.

RESULTS

Descriptive findings showed that most educators (89.6%) have access to computers and use them primarily for word processing (43%). Nearly 30% of participants had never accessed the Internet, and no significant difference was noted when this variable was categorized by age. In addition, age and gender were not significant predictors of computer use, although age was significantly related to computer ownership. Patient access and organizational issues were the primary barriers to computer use in patient education.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide further understanding of diabetes educators' computer use and integration of computer technology in the patient education process.