Impact on Decisions to Start or Continue Medicines of Providing Information to Patients about Possible Benefits and/or Harms

Rachel A. Crockett, Stephen Sutton, Fiona M. Walter, Megan Clinch, Theresa M. Marteau and John Benson

Medical Decision Making, 2011, vol. 31, issue 5, 767-777

Abstract: Background . The impact of providing information about medicines to patients on decisions about starting or continuing them is unknown. Purpose . To estimate the impact on decisions to start or continue medicines, of providing information to patients about possible benefits and/or harms. Data Sources . Electronic searches from 1980 to October 2010; reference and citation searches of included studies. Study Selection . Two investigators assessed studies' eligibility against inclusion criteria: randomized or pseudorandomized trials; participants older than 16 years and deciding for themselves; one group received information about possible benefits and/or harms of a potentially beneficial medicine, compared with another who did not; d) a measure of decision about starting or continuing a medicine. Data Extraction . One investigator extracted all data, checked by a second. Data Synthesis . Eight studies were included, covering a range of medicines. There was no consistent impact of interventions on decisions about whether to start or continue medicines (pooled odds ratio 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–1.70; P = 0.74 ). Among those who received more information, knowledge was increased (pooled mean difference 8.47; 95% CI 2.17–14.77; P = 0.008), and decisional conflict was reduced (pooled mean difference -0.15; 95% CI -0.24 to -0.06; P = .001). Limitations . A small number of studies across different clinical contexts, of uncertain heterogeneity, were included. Conclusions . Providing information to patients about possible benefits and/or harms has no consistent effect on the number who decide to start or continue medicines, although it increases patients' knowledge and reduces their decisional conflict.

Keywords: qualitative methods; randomized trial methodology; patient decision making; decision aids; dermatology; family medicine; genetics; oncology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:medema:v:31:y:2011:i:5:p:767-777

DOI: 10.1177/0272989X11400420

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