Providing information for patients

doi:10.1136/bmj.a280

Published 16 July 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a280
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a280

Editorials

Providing information for patients

Is insufficient on its own to improve clinical outcomes

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

Patients consistently report wanting more, and better, informationabout their health, health care, and treatment options. Providingthis information is challenging. One approach is coaching patientsto ask questions during consultations. In the linked study (10.1136/bmj.a485),Kinnersley and colleagues report a systematic review which showsthat this approach has relatively little effect.¹ So what isthe underlying rationale for improving health information forpatients, and what interventions are likely to work?

Some people argue that improving patient information and educatingpatients about their health problems is ethically essentialand needs no further justification.² Others point to the benefitsof patient education, in terms of improved self care,³ enhancedpatient satisfaction,⁴ improved health status,⁵ and reducedhealthcare expenditure.⁶ Improving clinical outcomes, however,needs more than just information—it requires a partnershipbetween patients and their health professionals, with the patientactively engaged in self care.

People living with long term . . . [Full text of this article]

Elizabeth Murray, reader in primary care

¹ Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London N19 5LW

Elizabeth.murray@pcps.ucl.ac.uk

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Relevant Article

Interventions before consultations to help patients address their information needs by encouraging question asking: systematic review: Paul Kinnersley, Adrian Edwards, Kerry Hood, Rebecca Ryan, Hayley Prout, Naomi Cadbury, Fergus MacBeth, Phyllis Butow, and Christopher Butler
BMJ 2008 337: a485. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]