Printed information for patients has been shown to have many benefits, and health professionals are routinely encouraged to make use of it. However, there is evidence, that there are problems in disseminating printed information. This paper reports a qualitative study of why these problems occur in general practice, focusing on GPs, practice nurses, health visitors and practice managers, It finds that use of leaflets varies, between and within professional groups, and is affected by perceptions of: the value of leaflets, individual patients, appropriate topics for using leaflets, quality of leaflets, professional role, and by organisational and institutional factors.
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