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The immediate effect on knowledge, attitudes and intentions in primary care attenders of a patient information
1Division of Clinical Psychology, School of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Manchester, Rawnsley Building, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WL. Gerry.Humphris@man.ac.uk
Aim:
To determine whether the influence of a leaflet on mouth cancer improves knowledge, related attitudes and intention to accept a mouth screen.
Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Dental and medical waiting rooms in the North West of England.
Sample:
Nine hundred and forty nine patients from 16 practices were invited to participate.
Measures:
Standardized multi-item scales of six outcome measures including knowledge, beliefs and intention to accept an oral cancer screen.
Procedure:
A patient information leaflet was given to a randomized intervention group of patients. A single sheet questionnaire was completed by both groups of patients (immediately following leaflet administration in the intervention arm of study).
Statistical Analysis:
t tests were used to compare outcome variables between patients with and without access to the leaflet with Boneferroni correction.
Results:
Participation rate was high (91%). Knowledge (P <0.001) and intentions (P = 0.003) benefited from patient access to leaflet. Anxiety was not raised with leaflet exposure. Some beliefs about the screening procedure appeared to be slightly improved by reading the leaflet (p <0.05).
Conclusion:
This study supports previous findings of an immediate positive effect of an information leaflet on patients' knowledge of oral cancer and willingness to accept an oral cancer screen.
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