IDS International launches the Leaflets2u healthcare leaflets service

Leaflets2U Healthcare Leaflets Service in Action

HAMPSHIRE based practice nurse Ann Freeman knows better than most the benefit of having information at your fingertips.

At the Bitterne Health Centre in Southampton where she works there are 13,500 patients registered and Ann specialises in working with those who have been recently diagnosed with diabetes or coronary heart disease.

She has a busy workload and can deal with up 20 patients per session. She knows she has to be organised to be able to deal with her heavy caseload – and to provide the best possible service she relies on giving patients leaflets with printed information to take away with them.

Being told you have a condition such as diabetes or coronary heart disease is a life changing experience - Ann's job is to help those patients firstly come to terms with their illness and then decide how they are going to live their lives from then on.

“It can be a really scary time for patients. They are having to come to terms with a great deal and they are bound to have lots of questions. Often there is so much to take in and they need the right information to be able to come to terms with what is happening to their bodies,” she said.

Every year 100,000 people are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in the UK and 760,000 people are living with heart failure in this country. Both diseases are on the increase and to help sufferers gain the best outcome, they need to understand the severity of their condition and the lifestyle changes that are needed to bring a better prognosis.

Leaflets2u helping Ann

Ann has welcomed the launch of Leaflets 2 U – the latest service to be offered by IDS International.

Drawing on their vast experience of getting the right information to healthcare professionals and patients, IDS has developed a new system that means Ann and other nurses like her can order the right leaflets for their patients at the press of a button.

“The biggest benefit with the service is ease of use. A lot of community nurses are not exactly wizards with computer s but ordering the leaflets this way couldn't be easier,” she said.

Being able to send a patient away with the right information is an important part of the whole process of coming to terms with their condition and learning to live with it.

There is an independent study supported by Johnson and Johnson and the Nuffield Trust entitled "The informed patient study” March 2003 authors D.E.Detmer, P.D.Singleton, A.Macleod, S.Wait, M.Taylor, and J.Ridgwell Cambridge University Health, that shows that patients who are armed with the right information about their condition make a much better and faster recovery .

“I like to give my patients leaflet information because they can go away and read it, absorb it and then ask me more questions when they see me again. Being told you have diabetes or coronary heart disease can be really distressing, they need to know the facts and be able to take the information in at their own pace.

The leaflets mean they can take their time and fully understand what is happening – and they can share the information with friends and loved ones.

Often people want information about a friend or relative's condition so they can better understand what is happening to them – and using leaflets is the best way to pass on that information,” she said.

While the internet has opened up a whole new world of information, it can also cause unnecessary fear and misunderstanding.

“The number of people who turn up with information from the internet can be quite worrying. Yes, it is a great innovation but the information you get can be contradictory and in some cases just plain wrong. There's no getting away from the fact that having the right information to hand makes such a difference to how that person will deal with their illness.

If they have the facts in front of them and fully understand what is happening to their bodies, it can mean they will take our advice and make lifestyle changes that can make such a difference,” she said.

Leaflets2u in detail

ABOVE: The Leaflets2u website

IDS International has combined its 18 years of expertise in healthcare marketing to launch www.leaflets2u.co.uk. Now doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other health professionals can access a huge variety of information for their patients, from healthy issues and lifestyles to signposting services, all at the click of a button.

www.leaflets2u.co.uk is a one stop shop for health professionals and it is totally FREE and easy to use.

Each medical condition is categorised by therapy area or indications and the leaflets on offer give patient information on healthy issues, lifestyles as well as signposting services.

The service offers national coverage and allows in-house stock control and delivery of brochures along with quarterly reports on order statistics.

The leaflets cover everything from diabetes and heart disease to cancer and are produced by the government, drug companies and charities therefore offering a broad choice.

"The cross referencing of leaflets is great, so for instance, you can have Nurofen for children and it can come under pediatric medicines, childhood illnesses or pain relief – making this service even easier to use" added Ann.

Ordering leaflets on line couldn't be simpler. You simply choose the publication you want and order it at the press of a button. IDS delivers the brochures and at the same time keeps a track of your stock levels.

Sarah O ’Reilly, Business Development Manager explained: “We wanted to meet the needs of healthcare professionals and give them the information they need to help their patients. It was important for the service to be easy to use and with a wealth of knowledge available.”