title: Comparative attitudes to verbal and written medication information among hospital outpatients.
abstract: This study was undertaken to assess the comparative preference of pharmacy outpatients for verbal and written medication information and to identify factors that might influence these preferences. Two hundred forty-seven consecutive, literate outpatients presenting with a prescription for a penicillin were enrolled in the study and given standardized verbal counseling by a pharmacist and a medication information leaflet. Assessment was made at initial presentation and by a prepaid mail questionnaire completed anonymously by the patient at home. Preferences were analyzed by age, sex, and number of medications prescribed. A response rate of 63 percent (155/247) was obtained. Low recall of physician instruction (11 percent) was recorded. Respondent preferences were for pharmacist counseling (30.4 percent), leaflet (20.6 percent), both of these (44.5 percent), or neither/uncertain (4.5 percent). The only factor having a statistically significant effect on these preferences was age (31-55 y), which influenced preference for a leaflet. Patient opinion of each leaflet section is presented. Patient preference for a leaflet or verbal counseling with a leaflet provides further evidence that leaflets should be widely used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Fremantle Hospital, Western Australia.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Plumridge
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D004346:Drug Information Services; D004348:Drug Labeling; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010174:Pamphlets; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires