Evaluation of generic patient information: effects on health outcomes, knowledge and satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
To establish whether the provision of commercially produced written information in addition to routine hospital information can improve patients' knowledge and satisfaction and affect their health-related quality of life.


METHODS
Elective surgical patients were randomised into an experimental group (N = 54) who received three commercially produced information booklets at pre-assessment, before surgery and at discharge, and a control group (N = 55) who received standard hospital information only.


RESULTS
The experimental group were significantly less anxious immediately before their operation, and reported greater perceived control compared to controls post-operatively. Two weeks after discharge, health status for the two groups was similar except the experimental group reported significantly less pain. Overall satisfaction was fairly high and similar in both groups. The experimental group demonstrated greater knowledge at pre-admission, but not at discharge or follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients increasingly expect written information; however amount, quality and timeliness vary considerably. Combining commercially produced information with standard hospital information may be to the patient's benefit.


CONCLUSIONS
Providing patients with commercially produced standardised information in addition to internally produced hospital information could have an additional, though limited, benefit to patients' health outcomes. This could be a way of incorporating the expertise of both providers to the patient's benefit.
Behavioural Sciences Section, Division of Psychiatry, Queen's Medical Centre, A Floor, South Block, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. charlotte.sheard@nottingham.ac.uk
Charlotte
C
Sheard
Paul
P
Garrud
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative