Charlotte Sheard1, Paul Garrud. 1. Behavioural Sciences Section, Division of Psychiatry, Queen's Medical Centre, A Floor, South Block, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. charlotte.sheard@nottingham.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To establish whether the provision of commercially produced written information in addition to routine hospital information can improve patients' knowledge and satisfaction and affect their health-related quality of life. METHODS:Elective surgical patients were randomised into an experimental group (N = 54) who received three commercially produced information booklets at pre-assessment, before surgery and at discharge, and a control group (N = 55) who received standard hospital information only. RESULTS: The experimental group were significantly less anxious immediately before their operation, and reported greater perceived control compared to controls post-operatively. Two weeks after discharge, health status for the two groups was similar except the experimental group reported significantly less pain. Overall satisfaction was fairly high and similar in both groups. The experimental group demonstrated greater knowledge at pre-admission, but not at discharge or follow-up. DISCUSSION: Patients increasingly expect written information; however amount, quality and timeliness vary considerably. Combining commercially produced information with standard hospital information may be to the patient's benefit. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Providing patients with commercially produced standardised information in addition to internally produced hospital information could have an additional, though limited, benefit to patients' health outcomes. This could be a way of incorporating the expertise of both providers to the patient's benefit.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To establish whether the provision of commercially produced written information in addition to routine hospital information can improve patients' knowledge and satisfaction and affect their health-related quality of life. METHODS: Elective surgical patients were randomised into an experimental group (N = 54) who received three commercially produced information booklets at pre-assessment, before surgery and at discharge, and a control group (N = 55) who received standard hospital information only. RESULTS: The experimental group were significantly less anxious immediately before their operation, and reported greater perceived control compared to controls post-operatively. Two weeks after discharge, health status for the two groups was similar except the experimental group reported significantly less pain. Overall satisfaction was fairly high and similar in both groups. The experimental group demonstrated greater knowledge at pre-admission, but not at discharge or follow-up. DISCUSSION: Patients increasingly expect written information; however amount, quality and timeliness vary considerably. Combining commercially produced information with standard hospital information may be to the patient's benefit. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Providing patients with commercially produced standardised information in addition to internally produced hospital information could have an additional, though limited, benefit to patients' health outcomes. This could be a way of incorporating the expertise of both providers to the patient's benefit.
Authors: Rachael Powell; Neil W Scott; Anne Manyande; Julie Bruce; Claus Vögele; Lucie M T Byrne-Davis; Mary Unsworth; Christian Osmer; Marie Johnston Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2016-05-26