Table 3.

 Papers reviewed categorized as being based on the perception of the patient as informed and involved in treatment decisions

Country (reference)	Method	Hypothetical*
UK (41)	10 focus groups (62 patients) to review written information, some condition based but all including treatment	No
	Clinical specialists reviewed materials independently using a structured checklist
UK (21)	Content analysis of all leaflets on NSAIDs printed in 1998–99	Not applicable
Switzerland (23)	Semi‐structured interviews with 76 chronic pain patients, and 54 controls about medicine information preferences. Content analysis of 16 antidepressant leaflets	Mixed
Canada (26)	19 focus groups (88 members of public, 27 doctors, 35 pharmacists) to understand patient information needs and review written medicines materials	Yes
UK (10)	4 focus groups (23 patients with asthma) to explore medicine information needs	No
UK (27)	14 focus groups (88 respondents) made up of psychiatric patients/carers, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, managers	No
UK (24)	Semi‐structured interviews with 30 members of depression self‐help group Content analysis of antidepressant leaflet	No

*‘Hypothetical’ studies recruited participants who were not actually taking or had recently taken medicines relating to the written medicines information that was being studied.