Biomaterial Database

Usefulness of a patient library in a suburban general practice. 1997

I Charlton

OBJECTIVE 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. METHODS Questionnaire survey of patients who borrowed library items and of doctors within the practice. METHODS 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.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007722	Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice	Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL).	Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
D007993	Libraries, Medical	Collection of information resources relevant to MEDICINE.	Libraries, Health Science,Libraries, Biomedical,Library, Medical,Medical Libraries,Medical Library,Biomedical Libraries,Biomedical Library,Health Science Libraries,Health Science Library,Library, Biomedical
D008297	Male		Males
D010353	Patient Education as Topic	The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs.	Education of Patients,Education, Patient,Patient Education
D010821	Physicians, Family	Those physicians who have completed the education requirements specified by the American Academy of Family Physicians.	Family Physician,Family Physicians,Physician, Family
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005194	Family Practice	A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.	Family Practices,Practice, Family,Practices, Family
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001007	Anxiety	Feelings or emotions of dread, apprehension, and impending disaster but not disabling as with ANXIETY DISORDERS.	Angst,Anxiousness,Hypervigilance,Nervousness,Social Anxiety,Anxieties, Social,Anxiety, Social,Social Anxieties