Effects of written information material on help-seeking behavior in patients with erectile dysfunction: a longitudinal study.
BACKGROUND
Neither men with erectile dysfunction (ED) nor their physicians are willing to discuss sexual problem sufficiently. Written information material could facilitate a dialogue and encourage men to seek treatment.


OBJECTIVE
The central task of this article was to determine the effectiveness and acceptance of patient information material for sexual dysfunction.


METHODS
Through an information campaign, men received informational material. Eight thousand men also received a first survey, which asked about the intention to seek treatment and to discuss the sexual problem with a physician or partner. A second follow-up questionnaire, 3-6 months after the first one, asked for the implementation of these intentions. Descriptive and regression-based analyses were applied.


METHODS
Help-seeking behavior, subjective assessment of change in disease severity and partnership quality, satisfaction.


RESULTS
Four hundred forty-three men participated in both surveys. Nearly 90% of them became active after reading the information material. More than half talked with their partner (57.8%) and a physician (65%), and one-third sought treatment (31.8%). Especially discussing the problem with the partner and receiving treatment improved erectile functioning and led to an increase in the quality of partnership (P </= 0.05). The initial intention to become active was a good predictor for completing an action. The main reasons for not becoming active were inhibitions to talk about ED (46.8%) and fear of a medical examination (27.7%).


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the results demonstrate that written information material is a useful resource for men with ED, because it evokes a high help-seeking behavior. It was perceived both to improve the sexual problem as well as to increase the quality of partnership. Providing such material in the medical practice may be an appropriate way to overcome inhibitions and to initiate dialogue with affected men. However, the results must be interpreted with caution because of possible motivationally driven self-selection bias.
University Medical Center Freiburg-Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Freiburg, Germany. michael.berner@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Michael M
MM
Berner
Christian
C
Leiber
Levente
L
Kriston
Vera
V
Stodden
Cindy
C
Günzler
D000328:Adult; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010174:Pamphlets; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations