The Effects of Digital Media-Based Instruction Combined with Communication via Social Media on Knowledge, Nasal irrigation Skills, and Nasal Symptoms in Patients with Sinusitis

Abstract

A quasi-experimental research, two group pretest-posttest design, was to examine the effects of digital media-based education combined with social media communication on knowledge, nasal irrigation skills, and nasal symptoms among outpatient’s department with sinusitis. The sample consisted of 42 sinusitis patients that were simple random sampling into 21 patients for an experimental group and 21 patients for a control group. The experimental group received education about sinusitis and nasal irrigation techniques through digital media and social media, while the comparison group received standard education. Data were collected using validated instrument with a Content Validity Index (CVI) of 1.00, including assessment of sinusitis knowledge, self-nasal irrigation knowledge, nasal irrigation skills, and nasal symptom. Data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, Mann-Whitney U test, and McNemar test.

The results founded that the experimental group showed statistically significant difference post-intervention mean scores of sinusitis knowledge, self-nasal irrigation knowledge and nasal irrigation skills higher than pre-intervention mean scores (p-value<.05), and control group (p-value< .05). Additionally, nasal symptoms of the experimental group reduced compared with a control group. In conclusion, digital media-based combined with social media communication is an effective method for enhancing knowledge, improving nasal irrigation skills, and alleviating nasal symptoms in patients with sinusitis. This approach should be applied to patient education programs and expanded to other outpatient departments to promote patient self-care.