Family Practice Advance Access originally published online on October 1, 2004
Family Practice 2004 21(6):651-653; doi:10.1093/fampra/cmh517
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Family Practice Vol. 21, No. 6 © Oxford University Press 2004, all rights reserved.
Does a patient-held health record give rise to lifestyle changes? A study in clinical practice
a Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Nissers väg 3, S-791 81 Falun, b Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, S-901 85 Umeå and c National Institute of Public Health-Sweden, S-103 52 Stockholm, Sweden
Email: lars.jerden{at}ltdalarna.se
Background. Patient-held records have been sparsely studied as instruments for behavioral change.
Objective. Our aim was to examine to what extent patients report lifestyle changes as a result of using a patient-held health record.
Methods. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study based on questionnaires distributed in six primary health care centres in Sweden, and comprised 418 patients aged 2064 years. The main outcome measure was patients' self-reported valuation of having made changes in their health situation as a result of reading the booklet regarding their health.
Results. Twenty-five percent of the patients reported a change in health situation as a result of reading the booklet. Exercise, diet and habits related to stress were the most common habits to be specified. Age, educational level, health status and smoking habits did not influence the proportion of patients who reported lifestyle changes.
Conclusion. The study suggests that patient-held health records might be a useful tool for promoting lifestyle changes in primary health care.
Keywords. Medical records, patient-held records, patient participation, lifestyle, primary health care.