title: The origin of information: are IUGA-specific patient information leaflets the answer?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In contemporary practice, patients should be partners in their care; unfortunately, we frequently find patients with unclear information regarding their conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 458 consecutive patients attending urology outpatient clinics were asked to complete a standardised questionnaire regarding their knowledge of their conditions and whether they had attempted to enhance this knowledge and if so, via which sources. Patient's knowledge was assessed using a visual analogue scale of 1-10
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean score given for patients' knowledge of their condition was 5/10. 19.5% of patients sought no further information, whereas the remaining patients' sources of information varied from primary care physicians (44.5%), Internet (23%), and other sources (13%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study highlights a worrying lack of patients' knowledge of their condition and illustrates the need for standardisation of patients' information resources. We recommend the development of internationally approved IUGA patient information leaflets to provide clear up-to-date information to our urogynecology patients.
authors.affiliation: Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK. amrhawary@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hawary
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pearce
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom
references.citation: Respiration. 2008;76(1):53-60
references.pmid: 18253024
references.citation: Heart. 2001 Jul;86(1):74-80
references.pmid: 11410567
references.citation: Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 2002 Dec;27(6):526-8
references.pmid: 12472525
references.citation: Thorax. 1996 Jan;51(1):34-8
references.pmid: 8658366
references.citation: Gut. 1989 Nov;30(11):1641-6
references.pmid: 2599449
references.citation: BMJ. 1999 Sep 18;319(7212):780-2
references.pmid: 10488014
references.citation: Patient Educ Couns. 2006 Apr;61(1):43-7
references.pmid: 16533676
references.citation: J Laryngol Otol. 2004 Jan;118(1):34-8
references.pmid: 14979970
references.citation: BMJ. 1999 Jan 30;318(7179):318-22
references.pmid: 9924064
references.citation: Dig Surg. 1998;15(6):669-73
references.pmid: 9845634
references.citation: Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2001;13(3):204-8
references.pmid: 11527297