The effect of use training given to mothers through the mobile application program on the attitudes and skills of rational medicine use

This study is a experimental design with control group conducted to evaluate the effect of rational drug use training provided to mothers with a mobile application program on their attitudes and skills towards Rational Drug Use (RDU). The population of the study consisted of mothers of children aged 0-6 years who were hospitalized in the pediatric clinic of Çorum Sungurlu State Hospital between July-December 2022, and the sample of the study consisted of mothers who met the inclusion criteria (study group: 70; control group: 70). As data collection tools, In addition, Mobile Application Use Willingness Scale, and Mobile Application Use Loyalty Scale were conducted for the study group as a post-test with evaluations related to the use of the mobile application program. Within the scope of the research, a mobile application program called ''Rational Drug Application Assistant'', which has features in the form of educational content, animation and interactive method, was developed with expert opinions to increase attitudes and skills related to RDU. This mobile application program was installed on the mobile phones of the mothers in the study group whose discharge was expected and the application was introduced by the researcher. Mothers in the control group were subjected to routine application. The research process lasted one (1) month for each participant. Descriptive statistics, the independent t test, the paired t test, the mixed Anova test, and Kendall's-W for expert opinions were employed to analyze the data. In the study, it was determined that the mean scores of the total and sub-dimensional scores and Medication Administration Skill Assessment Scores of the in-group pre-post test PASTDRDU increased in the study group (p<0.001) and decreased in the control group (p>0.005), and the mean scores of the total and sub-dimensional scores and Medication Administration Skill Assessment Scores of the post-test PASTDRDU between the groups were found to be higher in the study group (p<0.001). In the study group, it was determined that the mean scores of mobile application program user login, willingness to use mobile application and mobile application use loyalty scale were high. These results concluded that the training provided to the mothers in the study group through the mobile application program was effective on their attitudes and skills towards RDU. It is recommended that the mobile application program be used in public institutions such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals, in order to educate parents about safe drug application and treatment, and to increase their skills in the field of RDU. .Keyword: Rational Drug Use, Education, Mobile Application, Attitude, Skill, Mother