Making health information accessible to patients

Many NHS policy documents state the need to make health information accessible to all. Accessibility comprises physical availability and personal retrievability. Touch-screen public access kiosks have been available since the early 1990s and there is some evidence from a study of NHS Direct kiosks that they could improve physical access to health information. Most health centres have little space for longer use of computers by patients. Eventually home access to the Internet will be available to most people. In the meantime, computers based in public libraries offer potential to provide health information for patients referred by their GP. However, more thought is needed as to the format and content of the information. Information tailored using the patient's medical record is preferred by patients and may enable patients to engage more social support. More evidence is needed from well-designed studies to inform the debate.