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Table 3 Different aspects presented in the collected leaflets in comparison to the established guidance criteria

From: A qualitative study of Telehealth patient information leaflets (TILs): are we giving patients enough information?

Theme

Guidance criteria

No of Leaflet(s) matching the criteria

• Knowledge

• What is telehealth?

• 8 (THL1, THL2, THL3, THL5, THL6, THL7, THL9, THL12)

• How does telehealth work?

• 8 (THL1, THL2, THL3, THL5, THL6, THL7, THL9, THL12)

• Outcomes

• What will be done about the results?

• 6 (THL1, THL2, THL3, THL5, THL7, THL9)

• Reassurance

• Technology and equipment (ease of use): reassure patients that they do not need to be computer or technology experts.

• 7 (THL2, THL3, THL4, THL5, THL6, THL7, THL9)

• Support regarding technical problems.

• 5 (THL2, THL3, THL6, THL9, THL12)

• Confidentiality: state it directly and clarify who gets to see patients monitoring results

• 2 (THL3, THL5)

• Costs: mention that the service is free for the patient.

• 7 (THL3, THL4, THL5, THL6, THL7, THL9, THL10)

• Benefits

• What are the benefits of telehealth?

• 9 (THL1, THL2, THL3, THL4, THL6, THL7, THL8, THL9, THL11)

• Choice

• State that the service is not a substitute for the traditional face-to-face consultations and patients still have the choice of seeing their HCPs when required.

Telehealth is an extra service and not a substitute for emergency services.

• 6 (THL2, THL3, THL5, THL6, THL7, THL8)

• Previous Experience

• Patients positive quotes about telehealth

These quotes provide a source of effective communication of patients’ good experience with telehealth services and consequently will encourage other potential service users.

• 4 (THL2, THL4, THL7, THL9)

• Further Information

• Who to contact for further information about the service in general: there will be somebody to help/ guide the user to understand e.g.: HCP or someone at end of phone.

• 10 (THL1, THL2, THL3, THL4, THL5, THL6, THL7, THL8 THL10, THL11)

• Information availability in other languages/formats.

• 3 (THL2, THL5, THL7)

• Appearance

• Visual Presentation using pictures, not only words.

Recommended: Variety of pictures to be included most importantly pictures of how the kit works; patients using the kits at home: images showing different ages, ethnicity and gender of people using the kit.

• 8 (THL2, THL3, THL5, THL6, THL7, THL8, THL9, THL12)