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Table 4 Information content[6]and readability assessment of patient information tools (n = 17)

From: A review of decision support, risk communication and patient information tools for thrombolytic treatment in acute stroke: lessons for tool developers

Start with a clear statement of aims?

N

%

 

Describes its purpose (e.g. to aid decision-making)

9

53

Describes what it covers (to help the reader judge whether it’s worth carrying on)

8

47

Describes who it is for (i.e. which patient groups)

15

88

Provide unbiased and detailed information about options?

  
 

Describes the health condition

8

47

Describes the natural course without treatment

7

41

Lists the treatment/management/lifestyle options

9

53

Describes benefits of options

17

100

Describes risks of options (harms/side-effects/disadvantages)

17

100

Describes uncertainty around the current evidence (i.e. what is not known)

1

6

Describes procedures (i.e., treatments, targets, monitoring, behaviour change, etc.)

15

88

Contain accurate information?

  
 

Clearly states the evidence sources used in compiling the information

8

47

Information quoted is in line with the most up-to-date clinical evidence

8

47

Where mentioned, prevalence estimates give an accurate impression of how common/rare the condition is

1

6

Personal opinion and/or advertising are clearly distinguished from evidence-based information

5

29

Help patients to make appropriate decisions

  
 

Acknowledges (explicitly or implicitly) that the patient has decisions to make

8

47

Helps patients to imagine what it is like to live with the condition and/or treatment effects

4

24

Asks patients to consider factors (e.g. priorities, motivations, treatment outcomes) affecting possible courses of action

2

12

Suggests ways and/or provides tools to help patients make decisions

1

6

Disclose conflicts of interest?

  
 

Includes authors’ / developers’ credentials or qualifications

9

53

Reports source of funding for development and distribution

6

35

Have a clear structure and layout?

  
 

Is consistent in design and layout throughout

17

100

Includes aids to finding information (e.g. contents, index, site map, or search facility)

5

29

Important points are emphasised through the use of summaries and/or bullet points

10

59

Illustrates information with diagrams and/or pictures

7

41

Where diagrams appear, they are labelled and relate to the subject matter

5

29

Sections are clearly separated

14

82

Help the reader judge its reliability

  
 

Reports date of publication

10

59

Includes sources of further information

7

41

Information content total: median (IQR), min/max

13 (6.5), 5/23

Readability (Fog Index): median (IQR), min/max

10.0 (2.9), 7.5/15.9