Patients, health information, and guidelines: A focus-group study

Area of Science:

• Health communication
• Patient engagement
• Evidence-based practice

Background:

• Clinical guidelines can enhance shared decision-making and patient involvement in care.
• Patient understanding and perception of guidelines as a health information source are not well-established.
• This study explored patient knowledge and views on guideline presentation formats.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of clinical guidelines in patient health information.
• To identify improvements for implementing evidence-based patient information.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing focus groups.
• Semi-structured topic guide for discussions.
• Phenomenographic approach for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Patients primarily source health information online, from professionals, or personal networks.
• Patient understanding of 'guidelines' varied; some lacked a clear concept.
• Patients value concise, clear, well-structured information from reputable sources.
• Patients prefer health professionals to provide and explain written materials or direct them to reliable online resources.

Conclusions:

• The concept of clinical guidelines is not widely understood by patients.
• Patients expressed a desire for enhanced communication regarding health information.
• Patients seek both written materials and professional clarification from healthcare providers.