Patient information provision: its effect on patient anxiety and the role of health information services and libraries.

This article is concerned with the importance of communicating information to patients as an aid to recovery by decreasing anxiety. Recent research suggests that pre-operative information helps to decrease post-operative stress and leads to a quicker recovery. The health belief model has proven to be an effective predictor of individuals' responses towards health-related matters. It is described as a useful theoretical framework for medical professionals in deciding the content and quantity of information that each patient should receive. A study for further research is suggested, exploring the hypothesis that reading about illness significantly helps to reduce anxiety when the patient has added emotional support from a health professional. The existing problem of who is ultimately responsible for giving information to patients is highlighted in the general practice, hospital and public settings. Recommendations are made for the improvement of patient information provision in these three areas. Librarians are seen as being in a good position to liaise with medical professionals to provide the most effective health information service possible for patients and the consumer in general.