Next generation of self-management education: Web-based bipolar disorder program

Objective: Education and self-management training assist patients with bipolar disorder to take control of their condition and to reduce disability, but the timeliness and availability of the education are important. A free Web-based bipolar education program has been recently developed to provide accessible evidence-based information for patients, carers and health professionals. The present paper describes the nine-module program, reports usage data and user profiles, and overviews the aims and methodology of a randomized controlled trial to measure its impact. Methods: Customized Web reports were developed to measure usage of the Web-based program, and to profile its users on a month-by-month basis. Data on the percentage of completers of each module were also collected. A randomized controlled trial evaluating the program in people with newly diagnosed bipolar disorder was also commenced. Results: More than 8000 visitors used the online program in its first 6 months. Users were predominantly female, of a broad cross-section of ages, 43.5% with bipolar disorder, and with the remainder describing themselves as health professionals, carers/family/friends of a person with bipolar disorder or members of the general public. The majority (76%) completed the sessions they commenced. Conclusions: The Web-based education program is attracting a steady stream of users and is exhibiting good completion rates. This preliminary support for the program's utility requires validation from our randomized controlled trial before definite conclusions can be drawn.