Usefulness of a patient library in a suburban general practice.
cross_sectional · Level IV
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To provide health information by means of a patient library in an Australian general practice, and to examine the effects of such information on patient knowledge, anxiety and behaviour. DESIGN: Questionnaire survey of patients who borrowed library items and of doctors within the practice. SETTING: A five-doctor suburban practice serving approximately 7000 patients. RESULTS: 210 items were purchased and made available for loan over the two years of the study; 164 questionnaires were obtained after 229 borrowings in the first 15 months. Patients who borrowed items were mostly women (88%) and a high proportion of borrowers (47%) felt that the doctors' surgery was their main source of health information. 98% felt that borrowing an item had been "useful" or "very useful", 88% felt that it had increased their knowledge, 48% felt it had decreased their anxiety, and 79% felt it had changed their behaviour. The doctors were generally positive about the library. CONCLUSIONS: The practice library was a very useful addition to the surgery services and provided a valuable clinical tool for the doctors.