title: Balance appointment information leaflets: employing performance-based user-testing to improve understanding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use performance-based user-testing to evaluate the effectiveness of balance appointment patient information leaflets (PILs) in conveying important information.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a sequential groups design. Twenty participants were asked to find and demonstrate understanding of 11 key points of information contained within two NHS leaflets, A and B (10 participants each), through individual structured-interviews. Participants' views of the leaflets were explored through a short semi-structured interview. Following analysis, a revised leaflet was developed and tested on a further 20 participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 participants (25F/15M, aged 46-72) with no experience of balance problems or balance assessment appointments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants exhibited difficulties with finding and/or understanding 5/11 and 6/11 points of information within leaflets A and B, respectively. Five out of eleven points of the revised leaflet also posed problems. Ten out of eleven points were understood by > 90% of participants testing the revised leaflet compared with 6/11 points for leaflets A and B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some balance appointment PILs contain information which is difficult to find and/or understand for some readers. PILs should be evaluated prior to use using performance-based methods, since poor information provision may lead to increased patient anxiety and appointment non-attendance, cancellation, or postponement.
authors.affiliation: School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, UK. r.e.brooke@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Brooke
authors.forename: Nicholas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isherwood
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Raynor
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D032882:Comprehension; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010174:Pamphlets; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010808:Physical Examination; D004856:Postural Balance; D011932:Reading; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014956:Writing