Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally-sensitive, patient storytelling intervention to enhance physician-patient communication about NSAID risk. Methods A group randomized trial of 40 medical practices in Alabama was conducted. Patients within intervention practices received a 13-minute DVD that included patient stories related to their experiences with NSAIDs, adverse effects, and importance of communication with their physicians. The proportion of patients who: (1) spoke with their physician about NSAID risk; and (2) used both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDS were primary outcomes. Generalized estimating equations for panel data were used for analysis. Results Intention-to-treat analyses revealed no significant differences between intervention (n = 102) and control (n = 106) groups for patients speaking with their physician about NSAID risk or concomitant use of prescription/OTC NSAIDs (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.11, p = 0.670; OR = 0.87, p = 0.632, respectively). For 54% of patients who watched the DVD, per-protocol (PP) analyses trended toward increased odds of patients speaking with their physician about prescription NSAID risk compared to the control group [OR = 1.37, p = 0.354] and lower odds of concomitant prescription/OTC NSAIDs use [OR = 0.79, p = 0.486]. Conclusions A patient storytelling intervention in DVD format alone may not increase patient-physician interaction. Practice implications Strategies that facilitate use of patient educational materials delivered by DVD are needed.
