The effect of adjunct questions on older adults' recall of information from a patient education booklet.

Abstract

The effect of adjunct questions on the amount of information retained from the reading of a patient education booklet was investigated experimentally. Ninety older adults (mean age 77 years) were assigned randomly to a treatment, treatment control or non-treatment control group, 30 in each. The treatment condition was established by having subjects spend 30 min with a booklet about post-operative eye care. The booklet included four sets of review questions. The treatment control group spent the same period with a booklet which was identical apart from the questions. Knowledge of eye care was measured using a checklist scored on the basis of responses secured in a standardised interview. Although the two treatment groups decisively outperformed the control group on the measure, no effect attributable to the adjunct questions was detected. Factors which might account for this outcome are discussed. Directions for further research and implications for practice are indicated.