Patients find information leaflets for skin conditions lack detail
Information leaflets provided by dermatology departments in the United Kingdom lack sufficient detail, a survey of 259 patients has revealed.
Patients reported that the leaflets generally provided good basic material,
but lacked detailed information that they thought would have been useful.
Only 15 patients out of 67 who had recently received a patient information
leaflet from the dermatology ward could recall what is was about, suggesting
that leaflets were generally discarded rather than kept as a reference
source. Reporting the results at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology held in Barcelona last month, researchers from Belfast
City Hospital Trust said: “Many dermatological conditions are chronic
and it is, therefore, important that patients are educated about their
condition to improve their participation in their care. Patient information
leaflets are relied on to reinforce verbal communication.”
They suggested that patient information leaflets for dermatology should
be developed specifically to meet patients’ needs, including how
to apply their creams and ointments. |
