Usefulness of a patient library in a suburban general practice

To provide health information by means of a patient library in an Australian general practice, and to examine the effects of such information on patient knowledge, anxiety and behaviour.

Questionnaire survey of patients who borrowed library items and of doctors within the practice.

A five-doctor suburban practice serving approximately 7000 patients.

210 items were purchased and made available for loan over the two years of the study; 164 questionnaires were obtained after 229 borrowings in the first 15 months. Patients who borrowed items were mostly women (88%) and a high proportion of borrowers (47%) felt that the doctors' surgery was their main source of health information. 98% felt that borrowing an item had been "useful" or "very useful", 88% felt that it had increased their knowledge, 48% felt it had decreased their anxiety, and 79% felt it had changed their behaviour. The doctors were generally positive about the library.

The practice library was a very useful addition to the surgery services and provided a valuable clinical tool for the doctors.