The article proposes and tests a model that examines the type of communication media (personal meetings, group classes, and written materials) that is most effective to train and educate patients how to perform two critical self-management tasks in the treatment of diabetes. The model is based on media synchronicity theory (MST), a media selection theory. The model was tested by surveying 326 patients diagnosed with diabetes. We found that patients best mastered coproduction tasks that required conveying large amounts of information when written documents were provided. However, when coproduction tasks required comprehension of information that had multiple interpretations, patients increased their coproduction task behaviors when the training was face-to-face. Also, as predicted by MST, when learning the healthcare task required conveying little new information that patients could comprehend without struggling, patients trained with face-to-face media performed this task better. Finally, as expected, when patients increased the number of task behaviors they performed, their health outcomes improved. We discuss how these findings apply not only to healthcare operations, but also to other services that require extensive customer coproduction.

中文翻译：

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使用媒体同步性的理论视角，通过患者培训和教育，提高患者对医疗保健业务的参与度

本文提出并测试了一个模型，该模型检查了最有效地培训和教育患者如何在糖尿病治疗中执行两项关键自我管理任务的传播媒体类型（个人会议、小组课程和书面材料）。该模型基于媒体同步理论（MST），一种媒体选择理论。该模型通过调查 326 名被诊断患有糖尿病的患者进行了测试。我们发现，当提供书面文件时，患者最能掌握需要传达大量信息的联合生产任务。然而，当联合生产任务需要理解具有多种解释的信息时，当培训是面对面时，患者会增加他们的联合生产任务行为。此外，正如 MST 预测的那样，当学习医疗保健任务需要传达一些患者无需费力就能理解的新信息时，接受过面对面媒体培训的患者可以更好地完成这项任务。最后，正如预期的那样，当患者增加他们执行的任务行为的数量时，他们的健康结果会有所改善。我们讨论了这些发现如何不仅适用于医疗保健业务，还适用于需要广泛客户共同生产的其他服务。