If you build it, they will come.

What began as a University of Alberta student project on HIV/AidS has snowballed into an expanding line of interactive health software that is generating a lot of attention.

“Based on teaching an average of 150 students a year, it would take over 360 years . . . to reach the same number of people that I’ve reached through the Web site,” calculates Judy Hancock, health education co-ordinator at the University of Alberta Health Centre (UHC).

This is based only on the number of hits and would be significantly higher if sales of their CD-Rom were included and institutional downloads, which often reach a significant number of individuals, accounted for.

Greg Gazin, Business Edge
Recent graduate Erin Hertz using one of several kiosks set up around campus.

And when a kiosk supporting the software was set up in Lister Hall (a student residence), fully 10 per cent of the residents completed the exercise to determine if they had a drinking problem.

The Healthy Student Interactive Software is a suite of eight hands-on applications designed as a direct educational source to help keep students healthy. Modules include topics on AidS, birth control, books and booze, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and proper dietary habits on a shoestring budget.

The latest addition to the software suite, on sexual decision making, is like a counselling session to help you come up with your own conclusions and decisions. And finally, one that’s known to me — stress management.

While traditional health services wait for “patients” to arrive, UHC takes a broader approach – proactively reaching out to students by providing a source of information.

What better way to reach today’s students than electronically?

When polled, students admitted that they’d rather get their information from software than a doctor or a brochure, also citing the benefit of digesting this often personally sensitive material in privacy.

“After using the software, many students demonstrated intention to change their behaviour in a positive way,” says Hancock, a former junior high school teacher. Kevin Friese, administrative team leader, says that using technology can be much more effective as a learning tool, resulting in greater retention of information.

“Often, when we try to let students know what types of services we offer, it goes in one ear and out the other — but when provided in such a way . . . they will take an initiative and the CD-Rom is a perfect venue,” Friese said.

The Healthy Student software collection, although designed for University of Alberta students, quickly extended to employees and and their families. “It’s really useful for just about anybody over the age of 12,” says Hancock.

Interest in the collection has spread like wildfire. It’s been written up in Maclean’s Magazine and The Medical Post and has been downloaded in 64 countries as far away as Namibia and Brazil.

Hancock was perplexed by an unusual number of orders from Pensacola, Fla. She discovered that a professor there had designated the software as “required material” to teach a course on how to evaluate health technology.

Although comprehensive, this software is not meant to be a replacement for health-care professionals. However, it’s extremely helpful in terms of treatment, education and prevention, consistent with UHC’s mission. “It’s preventative maintenance,” says Friese.

Hancock is looking at what she coined “webifying” the software to run directly through a browser. She’d also love to get Apple Computer to include it with every new machine at no cost to anyone. (Mr. Jobs and Mr. Gates – are you reading this?)

How do you get the Healthy Student suite?

The software is available three ways. You can download individual modules from the UHC Web site, use one of the kiosks set up around campus, or for a mere $20 you can order a CD that’s Mac and PC-compatible. Buy one copy of the disk and you can install it on as many computers as you wish.

Web Watch:
www.ualberta.ca/HEALTHINFO/