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- Title
Copying letters to patients: what patients think -- a questionnaire survey.
- Authors
Sharma, Dushyant; O'Brien, Sarah; Hardy, Kevin
- Abstract
Aim To evaluate patients' views on receiving a copy of correspondence sent to their general practitioner (GP) following a consultant outpatient appointment. Methods Five-hundred and sixty-seven patients who visited diabetes outpatient clinics were sent a questionnaire to explore their views about receiving a copy of the letter from the consultant to their GP. The questionnaire asked them to indicate the degree of agreement or disagreement with nine statements regarding the advantages and disadvantages of receiving copy correspondence. Results Two-hundred and twenty patients responded, giving a response rate of 39%. Most patients (93%) agreed the copy letter helped them to understand more about their condition and 89% said that they felt more informed and involved in their care and treatment; 95% said the letter allowed them to know what had been said to their GP and 93% said it allowed them to check the content of the letter for accuracy. Most (88%) said it reassured them that their GP had received the consultant's letter and allowed them to know when to arrange to visit their GP. Very few patients (6%) got anxious and distressed on receiving the copy letter and a few (8%) had to show the letter to someone else to understand it. Most (97%) respondents felt that being informed about their care by receiving a copy of the letter was a good idea. Conclusions This study concludes that patients like receiving a copy of their clinic letter, reinforcing existing government policy recommending this practice.
- Subjects
PATIENTS; THERAPEUTICS; GENERAL practitioners; CONSULTANTS; SOCIAL services; GOVERNMENT policy
- Publication
Clinician in Management, 2007, Vol 15, Issue 2, p75
- ISSN
0965-5751
- Publication type
Article