Patients 'need better information'

Patients 'are confused by poor quality information'

A major overhaul of the way patients receive health information is needed, says the Consumers' Association.

A new report published by the watchdog on Tuesday says poor communication between doctors and patients coupled with an overload of health information is leaving people confused.

People don't know where to go when they are looking for information and they are confronted with so many different sources and conflicting messages

Wendy Garlick

The Consumers' Association is calling for the government to introduce new measures to improve the way health information is presented to the public.

It says one central and impartial source of information should be established - possibly funded by a tax levied on the pharmaceutical industry.

The report also suggests schoolchildren should be educated about medicines as part of the national curriculum.

And it calls for communication skills to be given greater priority within the training of health professionals.

Many sources

The CA report "Patient Information: What's the Prognosis?" said there were now many sources of health information, including 20,000 health-related Internet sites.

However, these were often contradictory and not always reliable.

The CA said the NHS Information Standards Board should work with existing kite-marking agencies to develop an agreed code and system of accreditation.

Wendy Garlick, principal policy adviser for the CA, said: "At the moment it is quite clear that people don't know where to go when they are looking for information and they are confronted with so many different sources and conflicting messages."

Events such as the Dr Harold Shipman murders and the Bristol Heart Inquiry had also shaken patients' faith in the medical profession, she said.

Some people, particularly from older generations, still preferred the traditional "doctor knows best" approach.

However, other patients arrived at the surgery armed with a wealth of academic literature which presented a challenge for the doctor both in terms of time and their own knowledge of the latest research.

The CA also found that many people find information leaflets with prescription medicines difficult to understand or frightening, so do not read them properly.

It called on the Medicines Control Agency to ensure Patient Information Leaflets are clear, concise and spell out both potential benefits and side effects of taking the drug.

Ms Garlick said: "The way we currently generate and disseminate information in health needs a radical shake up.

"CA research shows that patients and carers are frequently let down by a lack of, or poor communication of, health information.

"Given that the Government is urging the public to take greater responsibility for self-management, the Consumers' Association believes this situation needs urgent attention."