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UK Patients Concerned That Lack of Health Information is Worsening Their Condition

Posted on: Wednesday, 12 January 2005, 03:00 CST

A new study of more than 4500 patients with chronic conditions in Europe and the US shows that nearly half (48%) of patients in the UK are concerned they do not know enough about their disease and its treatments to confidently manage them. A similar proportion of UK patients (49%) expressed concern that a lack of knowledge might be worsening their condition.

The research also revealed that when patients do receive health information(1) on how to manage their condition, a substantial proportion (49%) make proactive changes in their behaviour based on this information. Moreover, nearly three quarters (74%) of those who do change their behaviour in the UK report a positive impact on their health. A similar number of respondents in the US (77%) and across Europe (76%) also perceived a positive impact of behavioural change following the receipt of health information.

65% of UK respondents expressed concern about not receiving information on new treatments that might help their illness and 52% are concerned about becoming a burden to friends and family as a result of their condition.

The research, commissioned by Pfizer, was devised to explore levels of health information received by patients suffering from three chronic diseases - asthma, adult onset (type 2) diabetes and heart disease. The survey, conducted between June and September 2004, gathered the views and experiences of 4,500 patients from eight European countries (Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, UK) and the US.

Simon O'Neill, Director of Care and Policy, Diabetes UK commented, "People with diabetes may only see their healthcare professional for a few hours a year, yet they have to manage their own condition every day. Patient education must be a priority. This survey indicates that the majority of people act on the education they receive and achieve positive health benefits. However, the survey also highlights concern about the lack of information available. This must be addressed so all people with diabetes have accurate, up to date knowledge on their condition."

Inconsistent Health Knowledge Across Europe

The survey also established the knowledge levels of all respondents by testing their awareness of basic facts that they might be expected to know about their condition in order to effectively manage it.

There are significant differences in knowledge levels across countries within Europe with the UK displaying higher knowledge levels than nearly all other European countries across all three disease areas. For example, 13% of UK heart disease patients displayed 'excellent' knowledge of their condition which was significantly higher than Sweden and Spain (4%), France, Italy and Germany (all 2%) and Poland (less than 1%).

43% of UK diabetes patients displayed "excellent" knowledge of their condition versus Germany (17%), Italy (23%), Spain (15%) and Poland (4%). Similarly, significantly more UK respondents with asthma showed "excellent" knowledge of their condition than Poland (17%).

Jack Watters, Pfizer Europe Vice President of Medical Affairs commented, "The differences in knowledge across Europe shown in the survey highlight the importance of improved information and education in the health arena. Better and more cost-effective management, as well as the prevention of diseases, is possible only if patients have access to, and a good understanding of, accurate information from reliable sources."

On the whole, across all three disease areas, US patients displayed greater knowledge of their conditions. For example, just 3% of European heart disease patients displayed an "excellent" knowledge of their condition versus 19% of US respondents who were the most knowledgeable.

The research also showed that UK patients use a wide number of sources of information including pharmacists, newspapers, books on health, TV and radio, books on health and the internet (10%) with 91% referring to Doctors and Nurses as the main source of health information (90% across both Europe and the US).

Commenting on the issue of patient information, Baroness Sally Greengross, Co-Chair of the Alliance for Health and the Future "Without question, both patients and the public at large are becoming more interested in and more knowledgeable about health matters - shown clearly by the numbers of hits across the world on health websites. A more informed population should be celebrated and further encouraged because as this survey shows, when patients receive information on their condition, a high percentage of them change their behaviour leading to a positive impact on health."

(1) Information specific to the condition of the patient received from doctors/nurses, newspapers/magazines, pharmacists, books on health, television/radio, family & friends, internet, spouse/partner, patient support/advocacy group, other sources

Source: Business Wire

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