High-quality Health Information Provision for Stroke Patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>High-quality information provision can allow stroke patients to effectively participate in healthcare decision-making, better manage the stroke, and make a good recovery. In this study, we reviewed information needs of stroke patients, methods for providing information to patients, and considerations needed by the information providers.</p><p><b>DATA SOURCES</b>The literature concerning or including information provision for patients with stroke in English was collected from PubMed published from 1990 to 2015.</p><p><b>STUDY SELECTION</b>We included all the relevant articles on information provision for stroke patients in English, with no limitation of study design.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Stroke is a major public health concern worldwide. High-quality and effective health information provision plays an essential role in helping patients to actively take part in decision-making and healthcare, and empowering them to effectively self-manage their long-standing chronic conditions. Different methods for providing information to patients have their relative merits and suitability, and as a result, the effective strategies taken by health professionals may include providing high-quality information, meeting patients' individual needs, using suitable methods in providing information, and maintaining active involvement of patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It is suggested that to enable stroke patients to access high-quality health information, greater efforts need to be made to ensure patients to receive accurate and current evidence-based information which meets their individual needs. Health professionals should use suitable information delivery methods, and actively involve stroke patients in information provision.</p>