Advisor input makes for user-friendly forms
Feedback forms make review process simple
A method for reviewing written materials provides a way for staff at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle to get input from patients and family members to help ensure signs, forms, patient education handouts, and web site content are user friendly.
A group of about 15 people have volunteered to read and provide input on written materials and are given copy that requires a patient/family perspective, says Laura Seuferling, MPH, a health educator in patient and family education and coordinator of the review committee.
If people who become patient or family advisors at the medical center are interested in reviewing written materials, Seuferling contacts them to set up a face-to-face meeting as these volunteers work from home. In the meeting, she can evaluate such things as disabilities a volunteer might have that would impact the answers they provide in their review (i.e., a brain injury).
"That helps me to understand why they may have responded the way they did. If the information is provided in a way that is not helpful I will go back to them to find out what they mean. That gives me a little more of a friendly foundation having had direct contact," says Seuferling.
Copy for review is usually sent via e-mail and a hard copy is mailed. Volunteers have a week to complete the review and all know if they are too busy to participate at a given time that is OK. Seuferling says there is around a 50% return rate.
All forms that will be included in the patient record must be submitted to the education department to be reviewed by the patient and family advisors. However, patient education material and other types of written copy don't have to be submitted for review.
General guidelines are that written material with broad distribution should be reviewed. Also recommended for review is technical clinical information, as well as material that has socially or ethnically sensitive content, says Seuferling.
Feedback made simple
Feedback forms have been created to make the review process simple. They provide a scale of one to three for grading. The criteria for grading forms that go in patient records includes the following: instructions for completing the form are clear; the form is clearly presented and well organized; the form is easy to read; medical terms are explained; and overall, what the reviewer thinks of the form. One question requires a written answer. It is: "What could be improved to make the form easier for patients and families to complete?"
The criteria for the review of patient education materials includes the following: the title describes the content of the handout; the introductory paragraph speaks to the content of the handout; the information is clearly presented and well organized; the material is easy to read; the diagrams, drawings, tables or checklists are easy to understand; medical terms are explained; and overall, what the reviewer thinks of the handout. Additional questions include: Would you recommend the material to your family and friends, if not, why not?; do you have any suggestions or comments?
Reviewers are not required to use the feedback forms, says Seuferling. Some leave e-mail or voicemail messages, while others write comments in the margin of the copy.
"Some like the form and only check the boxes offering very little feedback on open-ended questions, and others only write a narrative about what they think," says Seuferling.
To get more detailed information from specific patient populations, Seuferling on occasion has additional people review handouts. For example, to determine if a manual for patients having a laryngectomy was on track, former patients who had the procedure were asked to read the manual and give feedback based upon their experience.
To find these additional reviewers, she will look at patient records to see who fits the diagnostic group or ask clinicians to handpick patients.
Once input from reviews is submitted, a health education editor takes the information and writes a summary report of the handout for the author. This would include such information as "three patients said you should have an illustration."
In addition, Seuferling and her staff will edit the document applying the changes the advisors suggested. About 90% of the authors accept all the changes, says Seuferling.
"Most of the time they are very grateful for the edits and suggestions because they want their handouts and forms patient friendly and they are glad we do this," says Seuferling.
Sources
For more information about creating an advisory group for form and handout review, contact:
- Laura Seuferling, MPH, health educator, patient & family education, University of Washington Medical Center, 1959 NE Pacific St. Box 358126, Seattle, WA 98195. Phone: (206) 598-3473. E-mail: [email protected].
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