Article
Effect of text-based vs. graphical information formats on informed choice in sepsis prevention and early detection: a randomized controlled trial
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Published: | August 30, 2022 |
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Background/research question: Although often preventable, sepsis is annually associated with about a 11 million of global deaths. While the provision of evidence-based health information formats may likely help to foster informed choice on prevention and early detection, research on the efficacy of different information formats for different risk groups is missing. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to determine whether evidence-based health information i) can increase informed choice, ii) foster people’s risk/ health literacy on sepsis, and iii) require different evidence-based information formats (text-based vs. graphical) to support different sepsis risk groups.
Methods: Based on the results of a systematic literature review, two short information formats (text-based vs. graphical) on the prevention and early detection of sepsis were designed. Participants (N=500) with (n=350) and without known medical pre-existing conditions (n=150) took part in the randomized controlled trial, conducted online. Informed choice (primary outcome), including sepsis-specific risk/ health literacy (secondary outcome) were assessed after the presentation of the respective information format for the prevention and early detection of sepsis separately. Additionally, participants rated which three parts of the information regarding sepsis were most relevant to them. Fisher's exact test was employed.
Results: Both information formats were associated with more than 70% of informed choices for the prevention and more than 75% for the early detection of sepsis. The text-based and graphical format differed with respect to informed choice regarding the early detection (p = .012, OR = 1.818) and risk/ health literacy (p = .032, OR = 1.710), with the text-based format being associated with more favourable outcomes. For participants under 60 years, the differences between the text-based and graphical format were statistically significant for informed choice (prevention p = .005, OR = 2.878; early detection p = .027, OR = 1.833). Participants regarded information concerning the prevalence and mortality of sepsis, its potential causes and its colloquial name “blood poisoning” as most relevant.
Conclusion: Informed choices and risk/ health literacy on sepsis prevention and early detection of sepsis can be fostered effectively by short evidence-based information formats, with text-based format tending to be more supportive in this regard.
Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.