Are we telling patients enough? A pilot study to assess patient information needs in a gastroenterology outpatient department.

OBJECTIVE: To define whether gastroenterology patients wish to receive more information concerning many aspects of their illness and to elicit their attitude after receiving written communication from their hospital practitioner.
METHODS: In stage 1, 73 gastroenterology patients were interviewed and completed a structured questionnaire after their hospital outpatient visit, to assess whether they would like to receive more information about their condition. Stage 2 involved posting a copy of the general practitioner's letter, dictated in the clinic, to the patient and assessing their opinion of its value, by using a second questionnaire. In stage 3 a group of outpatients received a letter specifically prepared for them which summarized the outcome of their clinic visit (with avoidance of medical terms) and they again completed a questionnaire.
RESULTS: More than 75% of patients wished to receive written communication from their hospital practitioner. Ninety percent wanted to know more about diagnostic tests and 92% requested more information about their medication. Ninety percent of patients who received a copy of their GP's letter claimed to understand its contents and felt it was beneficial. Ninety four percent wanted the service to continue. However, there was no advantage in preparing a special letter for patients compared with a simple copy of that sent to their GP.
CONCLUSION: There is considerable interest amongst gastroenterology patients concerning their diagnosis and the management of their disease. The provision of simplified letters about their outpatient management does not seem to have any advantage over simply providing copies of all relevant correspondence sent to GPs.