Writing to patients: a randomised controlled trial

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorO'Reilly, Máire
dc.contributor.authorCahill, Mary R.
dc.contributor.authorPerry, Ivan J.
dc.contributor.funderHealth Research Boarden
dc.date.accessioned2011-12-01T15:21:21Z
dc.date.available2011-12-01T15:21:21Z
dc.date.issued2006-03
dc.date.updated2011-12-01T15:07:11Z
dc.description.abstractIt has been suggested that consultants should consider writing directly to patients with a summary of their outpatient consultation. In a controlled trial involving consecutive new referrals to a haematology outpatient clinic, we randomised patients to receive either a personal letter from their consultant summarising their consultation (n = 77) or a brief note thanking them for attending the clinic (n = 73). Patients were assessed for recall of and satisfaction with the consultation by a single independent observer, using standardised methods. At the second visit to outpatients, the patients' median percentage recall of items discussed during the consultation was 67% (IQ range 50-80%) in the intervention group, versus 57% (IQ range 43-76%) in the control group (p = 0.3). Strongly positive views on the personal letter were expressed by patients and referring clinicians. The findings suggest that although personal letters do not substantially improve recall of the clinical encounter, they are feasible, highly valued by patients and acceptable to referring clinicians.en
dc.description.sponsorshipHealth Research Board (Health Services Research Fellowship); Mid-Western Health Board.en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionPublished Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationO'Reilly, M.; Cahill, M.R.; Perry, I.J.; (2006) 'Writing to patients: a randomised controlled trial'. Clinical Medicine, 6(2):178-182.en
dc.identifier.endpage182en
dc.identifier.issn1470-2118
dc.identifier.issn1473-4893
dc.identifier.issued2en
dc.identifier.journaltitleClinical Medicineen
dc.identifier.startpage178en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/469
dc.identifier.volume6en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherRoyal College of Physiciansen
dc.relation.urihttp://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rcop/cm/2006/00000006/00000002/art00018
dc.rights© 2006, Royal College of Physiciansen
dc.subjectPersonal lettersen
dc.subjectRandomised controlled trialen
dc.subjectRecallen
dc.subjectSatisfactionen
dc.subjectWriting to patientsen
dc.subject.lcshPhysician and patient--Irelanden
dc.subject.lcshCommunication in medicine--Irelanden
dc.subject.lcshMedical consultationen
dc.titleWriting to patients: a randomised controlled trialen
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)en
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
MR_WritingPV2006.pdf
Size:
203.35 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published Version
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
4.04 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Pathology - Journal Articles
Public Health - Journal Articles