Michael S. Wolf|Terry C. Davis|Patrick F. Bass|Laura M. Curtis|Lee A. Lindquist|Jennifer A. Webb|Mary V. Bocchini|Stacy Cooper Bailey|Ruth M. Parker
Improving Prescription Drug Warnings to Promote Patient Comprehension
Northwestern University
prior studies documented high prevalence patients misunderstand prescription drug warning labels placing risk medication error evaluated whether use enhanced print drug warnings could improve patient comprehension beyond current standardan evaluation enhanced print warning labels conducted 2 academic 2 community health primary care clinics chicago illinois shreveport louisiana total 500 adult patients consecutively recruited assigned receive 1 current standard drug warning labels prescription containers standard 2 drug warnings text rewritten plain language simplified text 3 plain language icons developed patient feedback simplified text icon primary outcome correct interpretation 9 drug warning labels determined blinded panel review patients verbatim responsesoverall rates correct interpretation drug warnings varied among standard simplified text simplified text icon labels 803 906 921 respectively p 001 warnings simplified text simplified text icons likely correctly interpreted compared standard labels simplified text adjusted odds ratio aor 264 95 confidence interval ci 200349 simplified text icons aor 326 95 ci 246432 patients ability correctly interpret labels significantly different inclusion icons simplified text icons aor 123 95 ci 090167 p 20 low literacy also independent predictor misinterpretation aor 065 95 ci 044094 patients marginal low literacy better able correctly interpret warning labels simplified text icons compared labels simplified text marginal literacy aor 259 95 ci 124544 p 01 low literacy aor 322 95 ci 139750 p 006simple explicit language warning labels increase patient understanding addition appropriate icons particularly useful adults lower literacy skills evidencebased standards needed promote patientcentered prescription labeling practices