Effect of the evaluation of recall on the rate of information recalled by patients in Primary Care

Bravo, Beatriz Navarro; Postigo, José Miguel Latorre; Segura, Laura Ros; Selva, Juan Pedro Serrano; Trives, Jorge Javier Ricarte; Córcoles, María José Aguilar; López, Marta Nieto; Hidalgo, Jesús López-Torres

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2010.01.022

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Volume 81, Issue 2 , Pages 272-274, November 2010

Effect of the evaluation of recall on the rate of information recalled by patients in Primary Care

Beatriz Navarro Bravo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain
- Research Unit of the Primary Care Head Office of Albacete, SESCAM, Spain
- Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Almansa S/N, 02006 Albacete, Spain. Tel.: +34 967 195131; fax: +34 967 226796.
José Miguel Latorre Postigo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain
Laura Ros Segura
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain
Juan Pedro Serrano Selva
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain
Jorge Javier Ricarte Trives
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain
María José Aguilar Córcoles
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain
Marta Nieto López
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain
Jesús López-Torres Hidalgo
- Research Unit of the Primary Care Head Office of Albacete, SESCAM, Spain
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain

Received 28 August 2009; received in revised form 12 January 2010; accepted 30 January 2010. published online 02 March 2010.

Abstract

Objective

To analyse whether asking the patient to restate the recommendations they receive before leaving the surgery improves the recall rate once the consultation is finished.

Methods

Observational study in 37 Primary Care Consultant (PCC) in health centres of the city of Albacete. The final sample had 963 patients.

Results

The mean rate of recommendations remembered after leaving the surgery was better in the group of patients that restated the recommendations before finishing the doctor–patient encounter than in the group where there was no restatement (p=0.000). The amount of recommendations showed a negative correlation with the recall rate (r=−0.215).

Conclusion

Asking patients to repeat treatment recommendations is an effective method of improving the recall of these prescriptions at the end of doctor–patient encounter.

Practical implications

The importance of communication between health-care professionals and patients justifies the performance of studies so that it can be improved and, according to the results of this study, it would be advisable to use the method proposed on a more regular basis by the PCC as a way of improving communication and recall of medical advice.

Keywords: Recall, Medical advice, Prescription, Restate