AUTHOR=Lukasczik Matthias , Wolf Hans Dieter , Vogel Heiner 

TITLE=Development and initial evaluation of the usefulness of a question prompt list to promote patients' level of information about work-related medical rehabilitation: a pilot study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/rehabilitation-sciences/articles/10.3389/fresc.2024.1266065

DOI=10.3389/fresc.2024.1266065

ISSN=2673-6861

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>The purpose of this study was to develop a question prompt list (QPL) to support patients undergoing work-related medical rehabilitation in obtaining relevant information and to explore how patients and physicians rate the QPL regarding its usefulness, practicability, and perceived (additional) effort.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>An initial item pool was assessed by rehabilitation patients (<italic>N</italic> = 3) in cognitive interviews, rated by physicians and other health professionals (<italic>N</italic> = 11), and then further modified. The final QPL version (16 items) was used by patients (<italic>N</italic> = 36) in medical admission interviews in an inpatient medical rehabilitation facility and then evaluated. Physicians evaluated the QPL after each interview with a study participant (<italic>N</italic> = 6; <italic>k</italic> = 39 interviews).</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The QPL was used by 50% of patients who rated its usefulness and comprehensibility positively. Neither the need for information nor satisfaction with the information received was correlated with QPL use. The physicians' assessment showed a positive evaluation regarding the provision of information and structuring of the conversation, but also a higher perceived time expenditure.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>While initial testing of the QPL in work-related medical rehabilitation as a tool to support patient-provider communication generally showed a favorable evaluation by patients using it and physicians, future research should address its validity and effectiveness.</p></sec>