Executive Summary

The value of better chronic disease management

Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, exact an enormous cost on health systems worldwide. While diet, exercise, and medication can enhance outcomes, non-compliance with medication and lifestyle directives is common and improving patient compliance remains a significant challenge for our medical system. Many doctors struggle to communicate adequately with patients for a variety of reasons, and patients often fail to grasp the importance of the behaviours described in the treatment plan or lack motivation to adhere for an extended period.

Developing more effective ways to present pathology reports is important because commonly used formats are often confusing to patients, and the misunderstanding of reports can lead to reduced adherence to the patient's management plan. Studies in social psychology and education indicate that people take notice of and remember information that is easy to read, emphasizes personally relevant issues, and is structured to fit the individual’s cognitive style. Patients who understand their medical conditions better are more likely to manage those conditions better.

Study Aims and Scope

The aim of this study was to develop and trial an innovative tool to effectively communicate pathology results to requesting practitioners and consumers. We aimed to test whether pathology reports can be transformed from traditional numeric formats into a consumer-friendly health communication tool that enhances the interaction between the physician and the patient. Our approach was to use the most effective design principles for communicating complex information, derived from studies of cognitive styles and information requirements of diverse groups of people.

The study focussed particularly on four areas:

• Patients’ comprehension of pathology test results
• Their memory of those results
• Their understanding of what actions they should take as a result
• Their likelihood of responding appropriately (e.g. by taking medication regularly, initiating lifestyle changes, following a good diet, and returning for follow-up doctors visits and testing)

Findings

A prototype pathology report was developed which both patients and healthcare professionals assessed as being clear, informative, and useful in the management of the patients’ health. Further research should be undertaken to determine the long-term impacts for patients in having an accessible patient-focussed pathology report made available to them by their doctors.