Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate individuals' processing of prescription drug information under different conditions of presentation. Design: Videotapes and written materials were used to develop 12 different conditions of presentation and data were collected via a mailed survey methodology. Controlling for respondent age, we studied respondents' perceptions of cognitive effort required to process the information, information overload, and evaluative response to the information. Also, we documented and studied the number of questions reported after exposure to the information. Subjects: Study materials were mailed to 624 volunteers living in the United States, of which 477 (76.4%) returned completed data forms. Results and conclusions: The results suggest there is a balance between the need for information at a level sufficient for individuals to make decisions and the need for information that will not overload individuals as they cognitively process it.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 49-59 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Patient Education and Counseling |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2001 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We acknowledge the valuable assistance of Steve Huelsnitz from Able Video Productions in the taping, editing, and production of the videotapes used for this study. Also, we appreciate the useful comments from Joseph B. Wiederholt and Mary Indritz on earlier drafts of this manuscript. Funding was provided by the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education.
Keywords
- Information overload
- Information processing
- Prescription drug information