Medication information for Flemish inpatients with major depression: evaluation and construct validity of the Consumer Information Rating Form.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluating the quality of written medication information is a major topic of concern when patient pamphlets are developed. The objective of this study is to evaluate a patient pamphlet on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) by calculating Flesch-Douma readability scores and by applying the Consumer Information Rating Form (CIRF) to Flemish inpatients with major depression taking SSRIs.


METHODS
The pamphlet was evaluated by calculating Flesch-Douma readability scores. The study enrolled patients with major depression taking SSRIs. Patient received a SSRI pamphlet and completed a self-administered structured questionnaire consisting of the adapted CIRF and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Construct validity was explored by means of factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha.


CONCLUSIONS
The Flesch-Douma readability scores showed that the pamphlet was easy to read, had much interest in the reader and was very popular. The sample of 96 patients consisted of doubtful/definite cases in terms of anxiety (10.65 +/- 4.90) and doubtful cases in terms of depression (8.91 +/- 5.23). Using the CIRF, patients assigned positive scores to comprehensibility, utility and design quality of the pamphlet. Factor analysis on the original CIRF confirmed the three original factors (P < 0.001). Cronbach's alpha of factors ranged from 0.69 to 0.83.


CONCLUSIONS
The SSRI pamphlet is of good quality. Our study supported the construct validity of the CIRF to Flemish inpatients with major depression.
Desplenter
F
F
Research Centre for Pharmaceutical Care and Pharmaco-economics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Franciska.Desplenter@pharm.kuleuven.be
Laekeman
G
G
Demyttenaere
K
K
Simoens
S
S
D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004346:Drug Information Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors