THURSDAY, Aug. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Advertising current local health-related research using large TV monitors in emergency department waiting rooms can increase the short-term interest in health-related research, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in BMJ Open.
Ronny Gunnarsson, Ph.D., from The Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden, and colleagues conducted a randomized trial to examine whether advertising local current health-related research using large TV monitors would influence patient interest in health-related research. Participants included waiting patients and their accompanying friends and relatives in the emergency department waiting room who did not require immediate medical attention.
The researchers found that compared with a control group, there was a significant increase in the short-term interest of health-related research with the intervention (odds ratio, 1.3). Being female and being older correlated with an increased interest in health-related research.
“It seems reasonable that research-active organizations adopt a much more proactive approach to informing the general public,” the authors write. “Future research could clarify if this increased interest is linked to an increased appreciation of funding for research or an increased motivation for participating in research.”
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