Le istruzioni stampate nella gestione dei pazienti con dermatite da contatto

Objective: the aim of this research was to verify the level of usefulness of the printed instruction sheets in the management of patients suffering from allergic contact dermatitis. We have estimated the level of knowledge and long term memory of the patients, concerning the pieces of information contained in the printed instructions. We wanted to establish if patients derived any improvement in symptoms by following the rules written in the instructions. Materials and methods: we started our research by asking 400 randomly selected patients, from the Italian cities of Naples, Catania, Ferrara and Verona to fill in a questionnaire. Patients were asked several questions concerning the usefulness of the printed instructions, how often they consulted them and if their compliance helped improve their condition. Results: about 75% of the patients considered the printed instructions useful; by observing the instructions regularly they reported improvements in the course of their disease. Some pieces of information concerning the objects and the materials to avoid, for example, have remained the same for 5 years, since the printed instructions were first received. We noted that the categories who remembered less information were older people and, above all, patients who were socially disadvantaged. Conclusions: the printed instruction sheets were useful for the majority of the patients, who derived satisfactory benefits from observing them; therefore we recommend that all physicians use this means of communication to give information. The language in the instruction sheets should be used friendly to make it accessible to people from all social groups.