An e-learning caregiving program for prostate cancer patients and family members

e-health interventions have the potential to augment caregiving training for management of chronic disease. Instruction on caregiving functions often key to patients and families' well being is time consuming but not reimbursable in our current health care system. A theoretically defined interactive multimedia program is described which would assess patient and family member's level of preparedness for specific caregiving functions for prostate cancer and provide tailored skill building vignettes on caregiving techniques. Maximizing today's technology, this program is best designed for a hybrid delivery utilizing both web-based resources and a CD-ROM. Feedback from 45 prostate patients and family members from a Midwest cancer center on perceived needs for caregiving training underscores the potential value of a computer supported intervention for some patients and families. Implementation of the software, marketing, and distribution will be guided in part by recent e-health experiences that leave many health professionals appropriately skeptical about the utility of such products.