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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Background: WHO declared medication safety (MS) a patient safety global concern, placing patient engagement as the centerpiece. Most health psychology models enhance beliefs' influence on health behaviors, being an information-processing determinant of health beliefs. This process it’s influenced by meanings given to information and its sources. Aims: To identify the main information sources about MS, focusing on the Portuguese medicine agency (INFARMED), and assess their perceived reliability and efficacy in transmitting information to the public, considering educational level. Methodology: Data was collected using a convenience sample of 782 participants, who completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic data and perceptions about public information on MS. Study was approved by University Ethics Committee. Results: Pharmacies, doctors, INFARMED and Google represent the top-4 sources of information. Only Google is perceived as non-reliable. 7.7% of the participants never heard about INFARMED, with lower frequencies in higher educational levels (p=0.007). The majority of participants consider INFARMED a reliable source and effective in transmitting information about MS, but its perceived efficacy reduces with increased education levels (p<0.001). The same for the impact of more information in raising confidence in medicines (p=0.05). Stop taking the medicine and searching for more information are the most commonly reported consequences of receiving information about a MS problem, with higher frequencies on the lowest education level (p<0.001). Conclusion: Public sources of information are well known and seen as credible, though educated participants seem to be more demanding of the quality and reliability of the information.
Description
Keywords
Health literacy Medication safety Health beliefs Reliability Portugal
Citation
Andrade G, Grilo A, Santos M, Coelho A. Public information on medication safety: sources, perceived reliability and the influence of educational level. In: EHPS 2022 – 36th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, Bratislava (Slovakia), August 23-27, 2022.