Communication of laboratory data and diagnostic test results to hospitalized patients: a study of preferences and recall

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic information for the 87 hospitalized patients studied

Characteristics	All patients (n=87)	Verbal group (n=29)	Printed group (n=30)	Computer group (n=28)	P-value
Male, n (%)	40 (46)	17 (58)	11 (37)	12 (43)	0.22
Age, mean (SD)	53.5 (15.7)	53.2 (16.6)	53.7 (16.8)	53.6 (14.2)	0.99
Race, n (%)					1.00
Caucasian	56 (64)	19 (66)	19 (63)	18 (64)
African American	30 (34)	9 (31)	11 (37)	10 (36)
Other	1 (2)	1 (3)	0 (0)	0 (0)
Married, n (%)	25 (29)	7 (24)	8 (27)	10 (36)	0.60
Education, n (%)					0.08
Did not graduate HS	23 (27)	12 (41)	7 (23)	4 (14)
HS graduate/GED	36 (41)	10 (35)	10 (33)	16 (57)
Attended college	28 (32)	7 (24)	13 (44)	8 (29)
Annual income, n (%)					0.91
<$20,000	45 (54)	15 (53)	15 (56)	15 (54)
$20,000–$39,999	26 (31)	10 (36)	7 (26)	9 (32)
≥$40,000	12 (15)	3 (11)	5 (18)	4 (14)
Has primary care provider, n (%)	73 (84)	22 (76)	28 (93)	23 (82)	0.16

Notes: The information was delivered to the patient by a physician in one of three ways: 1) verbally, 2) explained with a print out of the results, or 3) described while showing results on a computer monitor.

Abbreviations: HS, high school; GED, general education development.

Table 2 Patients’ preferences with mode of delivery of results and recall of information conveyed across the three groups

	Verbal group (n=29)	Printed group (n=30)	Computer group (n=28)	Verbal vs printed vs computer P-value
Recall at follow-up visit after 1 hour and before 3 hours, n (%)				0.35
Four or more	7 (24)	13 (43)	14 (50)
Three or less	22 (76)	17 (57)	14 (50)
Accurate recall, n (%)
Blood pressure	25 (86)	26 (87)	26 (93)	0.68
WBC count	18 (62)	24 (80)	23 (82)	0.16
Hematocrit	25 (86)	29 (97)	24 (86)	0.30
Kidney function	25 (86)	26 (87)	28 (100)	0.12
Chest X-raya	21/24 (88)b	23/25 (92)c	22/26 (85)d	0.72
Total accuracy of recall, mean %	114/140 (87%)e	128/145 (88%)f	123/138 (89%)g	0.12
Patients who are satisfied with the mode of notification, n (%)	22 (79)	30 (100)	24 (86)	0.02

Notes: The information was delivered to the patient by a physician in one of three ways: 1) verbally, 2) explained with a print out of the results, or 3) described while showing results on a computer monitor.

a Sample sizes for chest X-rays are smaller than group sizes, since not all patients received a chest X-ray.

b 24 out of 29 patients had a chest X-ray in the verbal group, and 21 of them had accurate recall.

c 25 out of 30 patients had a chest X-ray in the printed group, and 23 of them had accurate recall.

d 22 out of 28 patients had a chest X-ray in the computer group, and 22 of them had accurate recall.

e In the verbal group, patients accurately recalled 114 out of 140 total possible recall items.

f In the printed group, patients accurately recalled 128 out of 145 total possible recall items.

g In the computer group, patients accurately recalled 123 out of 138 total possible recall items.

Abbreviation: WBC, white blood cell.