[Commentary: The challenge of patient information]

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the information provided by physicians during consultations, the information requested by patients, and patients' participation in decision-making. Design. Descriptive, cross-sectional studybased on observations of visits to the doctor'soffice and subsequent telephone interview SETTING: Primary care centers in Toledo, Spain PARTICIPANTS: 152 clinical interviews INTERVENTIONS: Questionnaire with items on age, sex, types of information provided by the physician, information requested by the patient, and evaluation of the patient's participation in decision-making and degreeof satisfaction MAIN MEASURES AND RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 41.1 years, and 55.9% were women. The type of information given most frequently to patients was related to treatment (88.3%). Of the 152 patients whose visits were observed, 55 (36.2%) did not request additional information. The information requested most frequently when not providedspontaneously by the physician concerned treatment (35.3%) and cause of the symptoms(29.7%). Almost all patients (94.0%) considered the information received to be sufficient. However, 22.7% stated that whenthey left the doctor's office there was something they wished they had asked about, and 18.6% said they understood the doctor's explanations “in part.” According to theobservers, 69.4% of the patients did not takepart in the decision about their treatment CONCLUSIONS: The information provided by the physician was not as complete as it might have been. Patients usually ask few questions, and a large percentage of patients had something they wished they had asked about,or did not fully understand the information. Patients' participation in decision-making waslow