Faculty Collaboration Database

Patient-initiated prevention discussions. Two interventions to stimulate patients to initiate prevention discussions. J Fam Pract 1996 Nov;43(5):468-74

Date

11/01/1996

Pubmed ID

8917146

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0029959568 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   12 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: When patients are active participants in discussions, comprehension and compliance are likely to improve. This study examines the use of two interventions to aid patients in initiating such discussions in the area of health maintenance.

METHODS: The study was a randomized controlled trial of adult patients. The first intervention used two cards that listed seven core health maintenance concerns. The second intervention used a brief session with a nurse to help patients identify their health risks and develop a plan for seeking any desired information about these risks. An exit questionnaire and a telephone interview 4 to 6 weeks later assessed the extent to which (1) information seeking by patients was stimulated; (2) patients recalled the information obtained; (3) patients used the information to effect lifestyle changes; and (4) patients felt they participated in the decision to discuss health maintenance.

RESULTS: Both interventions stimulated patients to request health maintenance information (both P < .05); the second intervention significantly increased patient recall (P = .018). Neither intervention, however, had a significant impact on lifestyle change or sense of participation in the decision to initiate discussion. Analysis of the second intervention did show that both increasing patients' recall of information (P = .008) and sense of involvement in the decision to discuss health maintenance (P = .003) significantly increases the likelihood of lifestyle change.

CONCLUSIONS: Two interventions have been developed that are relatively simple and inexpensive methods to stimulate patients to seek health maintenance, and quite probably other health-related information. The blunted impact of these two interventions, however, raises the question of whether such simple and relatively inexpensive interventions are strong enough to stimulate patients to use this information to initiate change when one seeks to address a wide range of risks.

Author List

Sander RW, Holloway RL, Eliason BC, Marbella AM, Murphy B, Yuen S

Author

Robert W. Sander MD Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Medical School Regional Campuses department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Counseling
Family Practice
Health Promotion
Health Status Indicators
Humans
Mental Recall
Nurse Practitioners
Patients
Physician-Patient Relations
Physicians, Family
Primary Prevention
Wisconsin