BMJ 2001;322:1193-1194 ( 19 May )

Editorials

Written information for treating minor illness

Alone, it's not very valuablebut we shouldn't expect it to be

General practice pp 1214, 1218

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Written information, particularly in the form of leaflets, has usually been seen as an adjunct to verbal information in the treatment of specific illnesses, such as back pain.¹ Two papers in this week's BMJ take this concept a stage further and investigate the use of patient information leaflets as prophylaxis against patients presenting with symptoms of minor illness. ^{2 3} This exploration is welcome because, although leaflets are widely used, there is little evidence about their usefulness.

Written information may complement verbal messages, thus enhancing concordance and encouraging behaviour change.⁴ Patients will vary in the quantity of information they want, and the professional has a duty to deliver it at an appropriate level for each patient, while the Patients Charter's also states that patients have a right to be as informed as they wish.⁵ The quality of the written information, however, is not always ideal. One study showed that the British Thoracic . . . [Full text of this article]

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• Dixon-Woods, M., Thornton, H., Boulos, G. (2001). Written information for treating minor illness. BMJ 323: 516-516 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

What is needed is patient education not leaflets

Brian V Rambihar
bmj.com, 18 May 2001 [Full text]

Articles embody unfortunate views of patients

Mary Dixon-Woods
bmj.com, 18 May 2001 [Full text]

Effect of patient information leaflets

Kristin McCarthy
bmj.com, 18 May 2001 [Full text]

Minor illness is no minor matter

B V Rambihar
bmj.com, 19 May 2001 [Full text]

Written information for treating minor illnesses BMJ 19 May 2001

George Boulos
bmj.com, 23 May 2001 [Full text]

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