Abstract
BackgroundPrinted health education (HE) materials are commonly provided in primary health care (PHC). However, little is known about their use by PHC visitors.AimThis study explored patients’ opinions and use of printed HE materials in order to determine an ideal output format for HE.Design & settingThis was a cross-sectional study, which was conducted in three PHC centres at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.MethodData were collected through a self-administered questionnaire.ResultsFifty-five point two per cent of participants obtained printed HE materials from PHC waiting areas. The majority read one or more materials and found it helpful and memorable. Seventy-seven point two per cent applied the written message, 24.0% of participants regularly read HE materials, and more than half spent time reading them in the PHC centre’s waiting area. Around half (51.1%) put the material back in its place after reading it. The preferred format was card with text and graphs. The preferred content was healthy lifestyle advice.ConclusionPatients do use printed HE materials in a positive way. More efforts are needed to improve the quality of the materials. Different healthcare providers should contribute more in HE.
Highlights
People want to participate in their own health care and related health decisions.[1,2,3] Healthcare providers are responsible for providing education on health issues and preventive measures
More efforts are needed to improve the quality of the materials
This study was conducted to: (1) assess the use of printed health education (HE) materials by patients in a primary health care (PHC) setting; (2) explore patients’ perceptions and opinions about what good quality HE material should be like, in terms of design, composition, content, and communication style; and (3) determine the preferred modality for HE. This cross-sectional study was conducted in three family medicine and PHC centres at King Abdulaziz Medical City of National Guard Health Affairs in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia
Summary
People want to participate in their own health care and related health decisions.[1,2,3] Healthcare providers are responsible for providing education on health issues and preventive measures. They must ensure the information is sufficient, effective, and positively impacts the quality and cost of care.[1,2,3] The key to achieving these goals is HE. In 1978, the Declaration of Alma Ata put HE as one of the components of PHC. HE was recognised as the most essential component of PHC to reach the goal of ‘health for all’.4. Little is known about their use by PHC visitors
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