Educational impact of a Family Practice Clinic Patient Medical Advisor Booklet

The present study was conducted to test the efficacy of a new "Family Practice Clinic Patient Medical Advisor Booklet" developed by the author for patient education. Experimental group patients were given the booklet with a prepared 25-minute talk describing it. Two to four weeks later they were seen again to answer a health knowledge questionnaire. Control group patients were seen only once. At that time, the questionnaire was given without the preceding presentation. The interviewer then discussed incorrect answers with control group patients and distributed the booklet. Both groups were asked to evaluate the booklet by mail approximately one month after administration of the health knowledge questionnaire. The experimental group showed a statistically significant higher mean score on the health knowledge questionnaire. The experimental group answered 96.8% correctly, compared to 71.6% for the control group. In their responses to the mailed evaluation forms, both experimental and control groups thought the booklet was well written and useful in understanding and treating the illnesses described.