Evaluation of users acceptance of a digital medicine fact sheet: Findings from a focus group

Abstract

Most medicine fact sheets are printed in small type and have information hierarchy and layout issues. In Europe, these sheets are individual bulletins that are put inside the packages. Users frequently report difficulties in reading the material, finding the required information and understanding the technical jargon, and/or have lost the sheet. The purpose of this study was to assess the participants’ needs and major difficulties in using a medicine paper fact sheet, as well as their acceptance of a digital solution. Two focus groups sessions were conducted on a sample of 15 participants, divided into three groups (young adults, middle-aged adults, young-older adults). Differences among groups were found for difficulties with the paper version and the expectations regarding the digital version. Findings suggest that digital fact sheet may serve as a positive solution, but is mostly seen by the participants as a complement of the paper version.