Personalising information
All available evidence demonstrates that personalised information works better - on all measures - than a 'one size fits all' approach.
Picker Institute Europe has produced some of the key research studies about patient information, and advises the Department of Health on information issues.
What is personalisation?
Personalising means providing the right information content, in the right way, at the right time.
In practice, this means:
- delivering information in person, with opportunities for patients to discuss and ask questions
- ensuring that professionals have the communication skills to engage and interact with patients
- understanding what information - and what types of information - patients need
- providing as much information as patients want
- providing easy access to a single main point of contact who can take responsibility for meeting patients' information needs, and
- working with patients to develop information resources that they understand and can use.
What can personalisation achieve?
Personalised information content and delivery:
- improves patients' knowledge and understanding of their condition
- increases their sense of empowerment and ability to cope
- increases satisfaction
- can improve health behaviour and health outcomes.
New ways of delivering information
Personalisation can include delivering information in new ways to improve patient experiences and outcomes, and sharing information about patients with patients. For example:
- telecare and telemonitoring can reduce social isolation, increase decision-making confidence and self-efficacy, and improve satisfaction
- giving patients direct access to their medical records improves the records' accuracy, reduces medical errors, improves patients' knowledge and recall, and increases patients' sense of empowerment.
