title: Influence of patient medication information format on comprehension and application of medication information: A randomized, controlled experiment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine patients' comprehension and application of alternative versions of patient medication information handouts for a fictitious drug, and whether patient characteristics influence patients' ability to understand the handouts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A web-based experiment was conducted in which 1397 adults with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or plaque psoriasis were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) a one-page "Bubbles" format; (2) a one-page "Over-The-Counter" (OTC) format; and (3) a four-page document modeled after MedGuides used in 2009 which served as the control arm. Comprehension and application of information in the handouts were the key outcomes of interest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants who viewed either the Bubbles or OTC formats had greater comprehension than participants who viewed the MedGuide, but did not have better application scores. No significant differences were noted between the Bubbles and OTC formats. Patient characteristics did not moderate the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both formats resulted in better comprehension than the MedGuide format used in the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results provide valuable information on how to design patient information to improve patients' understanding of the risks and benefits of the drugs they are prescribed. Results could be extended to inform the content of other types of patient education materials.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States. Electronic address: vboudewyns@rti.org.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boudewyns
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA, Silver Spring, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Amie C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.
authors.forename: Suzanne L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA, Silver Spring, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Oluwamurewa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oguntimein
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.
authors.forename: Carla M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bann
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.
authors.forename: Lauren A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: McCormack