Comparative assessment of two booklets about rheumatoid arthritis, intended for use by patients

Increases in patient knowledge after reading booklets about rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated the effectiveness of written material as a teaching aid. Two groups of patients (35 and 37 in number) in a specialist hospital acted as their own controls. Group A, after reading a booklet produced by the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council, increased their scores by a mean of 21 per cent. Group B, after reading a booklet produced by the Leeds Health Education Service, and containing substantially more information, achieved a 45 per cent average increase, indicating that this is the more effective of the two. Overall low scores before reading indicate a need for more patient education.