Using CD-ROM technology to increase folic acid knowledge among physician assistant students.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of incorporating CD-ROM technology to increase the knowledge of folic acid among physician assistant students. Participants included 76 first-year physician assistant students enrolled in a Women's Health course. A pretest and posttest was used to evaluate the knowledge gain after viewing the CD-ROM over a 2-week period. Of the 76 students in the course, 73 completed the pretest and the post-test. Posttest scores were significantly better than pretest scores (t = -11.83; p < or = 0.001), with means 68.63% and 46.18%. Knowledge scores increased by 22.45% from pre-test to posttest. Student evaluation results suggested that the CD-ROM (1) provided folic acid information in a clear and effective manner, (2) adequately covered the folic acid information, (3) increased student awareness and knowledge about folic acid, and (4) may promote early commitment by students to recommend daily folic acid intake to their patients.