Public acceptance of an interactive kiosk to educate about folic acid to prevent neural tube defects

Abstract

Aim: To assess the acceptance and effectiveness of an educational kiosk delivering medical information in a public arena.Methods: A regional March of Dimes sponsored project in Eugene, Oregon, allowed for the development of an interactive, multi-media kiosk program for population education. The focus of the message was “Preconceptional Folic Acid to Prevent Neural Tube Defects.” The program assessed previous knowledge of the participant regarding folic acid and spina bifida while reinforcing the benefits of preconceptional folic acid. The kiosk was placed in community malls in an attempt to determine what proportion of the general population would stop, initiate the kiosk, and receive this education. Demographic information including age race and gender could be tracked through this program.Results: The kiosk was initiated in December of 1997 and removed in May 1998. An average of 21 contacts per day were received. 43% answered the first series of questions and 25% completed the program to the end. 20% also completed exit demographics and 7.3% requested additional educational information from the March of Dimes. For patients answering the first question, 46% were previously unaware of what folic acid is and 50% did not know what spina bifida was. 35% of persons initiating the program stayed to receive the immediate educational message.Conclusion: A public-centered information kiosk is a cost effective way of initiating awareness of folic acid supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects. Additional preventative medical issues can be addressed to the general public utilizing this format.