Is less more? Patients' preferences for drug information leaflets.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Present package information leaflets do not fulfil the needs of many patients. The objective of this study was to investigate patients' preferences towards content and presentation of drug information leaflets using prepared medication brochures in a discrete choice experiment. METHODS: 6 binary attributes relating to content and presentation of drug information were used to define and design alternative leaflets. Choice sets between alternative leaflets were created based on an orthogonal design. 1,000 participants aged at least 50 years were presented 8 choice sets of drug information leaflets in a personal interview. The reliability of choices was assessed with a duplicate of one original choice. Regression analysis was used to model the impact of attributes on choices and interactions with responders' age and education. RESULTS: Participants slightly preferred colored over black-white leaflets, no visual presentation of side effects by the use of smilies, the provision of a brief summary, and general health tips, but no information on what-to-do in case of side-effects. All attributes except the " extent of side-effects presented" significantly affected participants' choices. Older and less educated participants preferred less information. Of the repeated (duplicate) choices, 84% were replicates of the original choice. Interrater agreement was moderate (K = 0.67, CI 0.6-0.7). 235 subjects (23.5%) followed an optimization strategy and did not trade attributes, i.e., exhibited dominant preferences. CONCLUSIONS: In general, participants preferred condensed, plain information in a clear and moderately colored design, but preferences towards drug information are affected by age and level of education.