Health Tools™

Summary

To help your patients learn more about their health, Cleveland Clinic has developed Health Tools, a self-tutorial patient education series in Flash format. Health Tools provides compelling materials, and flexible delivery options to use programs at your facility or offer access from the Internet.

Use 3 ways

1 CD-ROM

Provide patient access to programs right from your desktop PC or any laptop.

2 In-facility IntraNet

Place on your facility’s server or intranet to give systemwide access to any educator or patient.

3 Internet Delivery

Provide access to patients and their families at home via your facility’s website.

Only basic computer skills are needed to use these programs.

Diabetes Health Tools

Focuses on basic management skills for patients recently diagnosed with diabetes. Each module is designed as a participatory experience, guiding patients from point to point and then confirming understanding with quizzes and feedback. Engaging animation maintains visual interest and content is appropriate for a wide literacy range.

Also includes a self-evaluation program for
all at-risk audiences.

7 - Part Series:

• Diabetes Risk Assessment
• What is Diabetes?
• Blood Glucose Monitoring
• Short-Term Complications
• Taking Care of Yourself
• Exercise
• Travel

Managing Stress Healh Tools

These modules teach simple relaxation and stress reduction techniques anyone can master. The programs offer a real-time participation experience with specific guidelines each step of the way. Soothing audio narration further enhances the programs by pacing viewers through the routines.

4 - Part Series:

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Breathing
• Mental Imagery
• Two-Minute Relaxation Exercise

Stop Smoking Health Tools

Encourages smokers to look at the risks of continuing to smoke and provides the guidelines to quit successfully. It presents information many smokers may not be aware of such as the actual ingredients in cigarettes and the ways tobacco companies influence and manipulate smokers. Provides practical tools, quitting strategies, and support ideas.

2 - Part Series:

• Why Quit Smoking?
• First Steps to Quitting

Details

Diabetes Health Tools

Diabetes Risk Assessment

Excellent program to attract general audiences to your website. It includes 12 easy-to-answer multiple-choice questions. Once the quiz is complete, a final score indicates a low, moderate, or high risk of developing diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Emphasizes the importance of self-managing diabetes. Viewers learn how insulin works and how the body uses food for energy. Covers types of diabetes, symptoms, and keys to managing diabetes. Self-test questions confirm understanding.

Blood Glucose Monitoring

Patients learn why monitoring is important and are shown basic techniques. When to test and how to deal with highs and lows is covered. Explains selecting, properly using, and troubleshooting meters, along with tracking results and self-test questions.

Short-Term Complications of Diabetes

Defines hypoglycemia and covers symptoms, testing, step-by-step treatment instructions, and glucagon. Explains hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, and sick day guidelines. Concludes with review questions and a goal setting exercise.

Taking Care of Yourself

This program reviews key hygiene tips to help avoid complications. Foot care reviews daily exams, toenail care, footwear, and foot safety. In addition to basic skin care tips, covers blisters, burns, frostbite, and small cut care. Also summarizes the keys to good dental health.

Exercise

Reviews the importance of exercise and the effect of activity on blood sugar. Explains aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility exercises, and presents a warm-up routine. Offers success strategies including tracking results and ways to overcome common barriers. Includes self-test review questions.

Travel

How changing time zones affects medication doses; supplies and how to pack them; security issues at airports; and foot care are reviewed. Six “do anywhere” movement activities are demonstrated for those sitting for long periods. Also covers the trip home.

Managing Stress Health Tools

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This program takes the viewer through a simple progressive muscle relaxation routine to relax the entire body. The routine moves through the body from head to toes. Audio narration guides each step.

Breathing

Emotions can affect breathing patterns and, in turn, how we feel, but exercise can help us relax. Exercises are demonstrated that slow down breathing and regulate abdominal breathing. Visualized breathing to promote relaxation is also shown. Audio narration guides each step.

Mental Imagery

Provide a “mental escape” from stress with mental imagery, a proven technique to relax the mind. Simple instructions take the mind on a peaceful journey to a safe, comfortable place. Audio narration guides each step.

Two-Minute Relaxation

Relaxing is a learned skill to calm body and mind. This program reviews proper preparation to promote success, then takes viewers through a two-minute routine. Audio narration guides each step.

Stop Smoking Health Tools

Stop Smoking 1

Often, smokers aren’t aware of the dangerous chemicals in cigarettes or the many ways, aside from lung cancer, that smoking can harm their health. They may not even be aware of the ways tobacco companies keep them hooked on their products. This program presents a compelling case for why smokers should quit now.

Stop Smoking 2

When smokers want to quit for good but aren’t sure they’re ready, they need encouragement and support. Viewers learn how their physician can prescribe aids to help them quit, and they also learn practical strategies to increase their chances of success.

The programs can be run from the supplied CD-ROM. Or, copy the files to
your computer hard drive or server. For use on the Internet, an html version
is provided on CD-ROM for your webmaster to upload to your website.