Apologies for x-posting.

Patients 'need better information' - BBC Online - 04.02.03
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2724779.stm

(Also see CA Press Release -
http://www.which.net/media/pr/feb03/general/patientinfo.html)

A major overhaul of the way patients receive health information is needed,
says the Consumers' Association.  A new report published by the watchdog on
Tuesday says poor communication between doctors and patients coupled with an
overload of health information is leaving people confused.

The Consumers' Association is calling for the government to introduce new
measures to improve the way health information is presented to the public.
It says one central and impartial source of information should be
established - possibly funded by a tax levied on the pharmaceutical
industry. The report also suggests schoolchildren should be educated about
medicines as part of the national curriculum. And it calls for communication
skills to be given greater priority within the training of health
professionals.

The CA report "Patient Information: What's the Prognosis?" said there were
now many sources of health information, including 20,000 health-related
Internet sites. However, these were often contradictory and not always
reliable. The CA said the NHS Information Standards Board should work with
existing kite-marking agencies to develop an agreed code and system of
accreditation.

Wendy Garlick, principal policy adviser for the CA, said: "At the moment it
is quite clear that people don't know where to go when they are looking for
information and they are confronted with so many different sources and
conflicting messages." Events such as the Dr Harold Shipman murders and the
Bristol Heart Inquiry had also shaken patients' faith in the medical
profession, she said.

Some people, particularly from older generations, still preferred the
traditional "doctor knows best" approach. However, other patients arrived at
the surgery armed with a wealth of academic literature which presented a
challenge for the doctor both in terms of time and their own knowledge of
the latest research.

The CA also found that many people find information leaflets with
prescription medicines difficult to understand or frightening, so do not
read them properly. It called on the Medicines Control Agency to ensure
Patient Information Leaflets are clear, concise and spell out both potential
benefits and side effects of taking the drug.

Ms Garlick said: "The way we currently generate and disseminate information
in health needs a radical shake up. "CA research shows that patients and
carers are frequently let down by a lack of, or poor communication of,
health information. "Given that the Government is urging the public to take
greater responsibility for self-management, the Consumers' Association
believes this situation needs urgent attention."

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