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Impact of Information Leaflets on Behavior of Patients with Gastroenteritis or Tonsillitis: A Cluster Randomized Trial in French Primary Care

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ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of four patient information leaflets on patients’ behavior in primary care.

DESIGN

Cluster randomized multicenter controlled trial between November 2009 and January 2011.

PARTICIPANTS

French adults and children consulting a participating primary care physician and diagnosed with gastroenteritis or tonsillitis. Patients were randomized to receive patient information leaflets or not, according to the cluster randomization of their primary care physician.

INTERVENTION

Adult patients or adults accompanying a child diagnosed with gastroenteritis or tonsillitis were informed of the study. Physicians in the intervention group gave patients an information leaflet about their condition. Two weeks after the consultation patients (or their accompanying adult) answered a telephone questionnaire on their behavior and knowledge about the condition.

MAIN MEASURES

The main and secondary outcomes, mean behavior and knowledge scores respectively, were calculated from the replies to this questionnaire.

RESULTS

Twenty-four physicians included 400 patients. Twelve patients were lost to follow-up (3 %). In the group that received the patient information leaflet, patient behavior was closer to that recommended by the guidelines than in the control group (mean behavior score 4.9 versus 4.2, p < 0.01). Knowledge was better for adults receiving the leaflet than in the control group (mean knowledge score 4.2 versus 3.6, p < 0.01). There were fewer visits for the same symptoms by household members of patients given leaflets (23.4 % vs. 56.2 %, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Patient information leaflets given by the physician during the consultation significantly modify the patient’s behavior and knowledge of the disease, compared with patients not receiving the leaflets, for the conditions studied.

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Acknowledgements

Contributors

We thank Carole Rolland for managing the study (Grenoble CIC) and Aurélia Meneau for participating in the study design. We also thank Philippe Eveillard for critically reading the manuscript. We thank the following physicians for their participation: Baud N, Blanckemane M, Boivin JE, Brin M, Constans D, Corchia L, Dauphin D, Demaret F, D’Herouville C, Dubayle V, Folacci JL, Gamby A, Gandiol J, Genthon A, Gozlan E, Guetta B, Lagabrielle D, Lamy D, Leclercq A, Moulle C, Lambert P, Magnen L, Menuret H, Poucel F, Rony N, Schihin R, Triviella F, Verjus P, Vignoulle JL, and Zerbib Y for joining us in the expert committee

Funding

The study was supported by the Grenoble Clinical Research Centre, which is financed by INSERM and French hospital funding, both belonging to the public sector. Neither INSERM nor the hospital influenced the study design, analysis or interpretation of results.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Research Centre, University Hospital and Clinique Mutualiste/UJF-Grenoble 1/CNRS/TIMC-IMAG UMR 5525/Themas, Grenoble, France

    Mélanie Sustersic MD

  2. General Practice, Marseille, France

    Eva Jeannet MD

  3. General Practice, Grenoble, France

    Lucile Cozon-Rein MD

  4. General Practice, Paris 10, France

    Florence Maréchaux MD

  5. UJF-Grenoble 1/CNRS/Clinical Research Centre, University Hospital and Inserm CIC03/TIMC-IMAG UMR 5525/Themas, Grenoble, France

    Céline Genty MSc & Jean-Luc Bosson MD, PhD

  6. Clinical Research Centre, Grenoble University Hospital and Inserm CIC03, Grenoble, France

    Alison Foote PhD

  7. Clinical Research Centre, University Hospital/UJF-Grenoble 1/CNRS/TIMC-IMAG UMR 5525/Themas, Grenoble, France

    Sandra David-Tchouda MD

  8. Department of Family medicine, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France

    Luc Martinez MD

  9. Pôle Santé Publique, Pavillon Taillfer, CHU Grenoble, BP 217, 38043, Grenoble cedex 9, France

    Mélanie Sustersic MD

Authors
  1. Mélanie Sustersic MD
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  2. Eva Jeannet MD
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  3. Lucile Cozon-Rein MD
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  4. Florence Maréchaux MD
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  5. Céline Genty MSc
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  6. Alison Foote PhD
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  7. Sandra David-Tchouda MD
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  9. Jean-Luc Bosson MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mélanie Sustersic MD.

Additional information

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01398696

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Sustersic, M., Jeannet, E., Cozon-Rein, L. et al. Impact of Information Leaflets on Behavior of Patients with Gastroenteritis or Tonsillitis: A Cluster Randomized Trial in French Primary Care. J GEN INTERN MED 28, 25–31 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-012-2164-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-012-2164-8

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