Balance appointment information leaflets: Employing performance-based user-testing to improve understanding

Abstract

Objective: To use performance-based user-testing to evaluate the effectiveness of balance appointment patient information leaflets (PILs) in conveying important information. Design: The study used a sequential groups design. Twenty participants were asked to find and demonstrate understanding of 11 key points of information contained within two NHS leaflets, A and B (10 participants each), through individual structured-interviews. Participants’ views of the leaflets were explored through a short semi-structured interview. Following analysis, a revised leaflet was developed and tested on a further 20 participants. Study sample: 40 participants (25F/15M, aged 46–72) with no experience of balance problems or balance assessment appointments. Results: Participants exhibited difficulties with finding and/or understanding 5/11 and 6/11 points of information within leaflets A and B, respectively. Five out of eleven points of the revised leaflet also posed problems. Ten out of eleven points were understood by > 90% of participants testing the revised leaflet compared with 6/11 points for leaflets A and B. Conclusions: Some balance appointment PILs contain information which is difficult to find and/or understand for some readers. PILs should be evaluated prior to use using performance-based methods, since poor information provision may lead to increased patient anxiety and appointment non-attendance, cancellation, or postponement.

Key Words::

• Balance assessment appointment
• patient information leaflets
• health literacy

Acknowledgements

We thank the participants for volunteering to take part in this study. Copies of the revised balance appointment information leaflet are available from the corresponding author on request.

Declaration of interest: DKR is a Director of Luto Research which develops, refines and tests health information.

This work was funded by the School of Healthcare Research Pump Priming Fund of the University of Leeds.