Randomised trial of the psychological effect of information about oral cancer in primary care settings

• Published in: Oral oncology 2001-10, Vol.37 (7), p.548-552
• Main Authors: Humphris, G.M, Ireland, R.S, Field, E.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; England; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Illness and personality; Illness, stress and coping; Logistic Models; Male; Mass Screening - psychology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms - diagnosis; Mouth Neoplasms - psychology; Oral cancer; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Patient Education as Topic; Patient information leaflets; Primary health care; Primary Health Care - methods; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Screening; Tumors; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology
• ISSN: 1368-8375; 1879-0593
• DOI: 10.1016/S1368-8375(01)00017-3

Aim: To determine the immediate influence of a validated patient information leaflet (PIL) on patient anxiety and intention to have a screen for oral cancer in primary care attenders. Participants: Patients (n=800) attending their primary health care provider. Setting: Fourteen general practices (eight dental and six medical) in the northwest of England. Design: Randomised controlled trial with two arms: leaflets provided in information group, leaflet was absent in control group. Measures: Single item ratings of (1) intention to have an oral cancer screen, and (2) anxiety towards a screen, (3) perceived risk of oral cancer. Knowledge of oral cancer, self-reported dental service attendance history and demographic variables were also collected. Results: Patients who had read the oral cancer PIL demonstrated an increase in their intention to have a screen (Mann Whitney U test: z=−3.67, P