Protheroe Joanne, Estacio Emee Vida, Saidy-Khan Sirandou
Manchester, and senior lecturer in general practice, Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire.
School of Psychology;
Br J Gen Pract. 2015 Mar;65(632):e192-7. doi: 10.3399/bjgp15X684013.
Government policy in the UK emphasises providing patients with good health information to encourage participation in their health care. Patient information leaflets (PILs) form part of this policy and have been shown to affect patient health outcomes; however, many are poorly written.
To describe the PILs in general practice surgeries in Stoke-on-Trent in terms of readability and variety of content.
An observational study of randomly selected GP practices (n = 17) across Stoke-on-Trent.
PILs were assessed for readability (Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level) and compared with national skills level data and with the recommended level for medical information. The PILs were also categorised for content using the Rudd (2007) health material classification framework.
A total of 345 PILs were collected and assessed. Only 24.3% meet recommended reading-level criteria. Compared with national skills levels, over 75% of the PILs collected were too complex for at least 15% of the English population. Of the PILs, 47.8% were classified as 'systems navigation' (information regarding services); 22.9% were disease prevention (screening and immunisations); 14.2% personal and public safety; and less than 10% were for managing illness or health promotion.
Current PILs in general practices do not all promote health literacy. Information only accessible to a proportion of higher skilled patients may increase inequalities in health. Less than 10% of PILs promote managing illness or healthy lifestyles. Processes must be put in place to improve the readability and variety of content of PILs in GP practices.
英国的政府政策强调为患者提供优质的健康信息，以鼓励他们参与自身的医疗保健。患者信息传单（PILs）是该政策的一部分，并且已被证明会影响患者的健康结果；然而，许多传单的撰写质量很差。
从可读性和内容多样性方面描述特伦特河畔斯托克市全科医疗诊所中的患者信息传单。
对特伦特河畔斯托克市随机选取的全科医生诊所（n = 17）进行的一项观察性研究。
评估患者信息传单的可读性（弗莱什易读性和弗莱什-金凯德年级水平），并与国家技能水平数据以及医学信息的推荐水平进行比较。还使用拉德（2007年）健康材料分类框架对传单的内容进行分类。
共收集并评估了345份患者信息传单。只有24.3%符合推荐的阅读水平标准。与国家技能水平相比，所收集的患者信息传单中超过75%对于至少15%的英国人口来说过于复杂。在这些传单中，47.8%被归类为“系统导航”（关于服务的信息）；22.9%是疾病预防（筛查和免疫接种）；14.2%是个人和公共安全；不到10%是关于疾病管理或健康促进的。
目前全科医疗诊所中的患者信息传单并非都能促进健康素养。只有一部分高技能患者能够获取的信息可能会加剧健康方面的不平等。不到10%的患者信息传单促进疾病管理或健康的生活方式。必须建立相关流程，以提高全科医疗诊所中患者信息传单的可读性和内容多样性。
