Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) is leveraging BMJ Best Practice to embed reliable health information into routine clinical care. The aim is to counter widespread misinformation and support shared decision-making between patients and healthcare professionals.
Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) is directly addressing the challenge of misinformation. As part of its national subscription to BMJ Best Practice, HSE offers health professionals access to BMJ Best Practice patient information. These concise, evidence-based patient leaflet summaries are crucial for reassuring patients and caregivers and support informed, shared decision-making.
Health professionals use these patient leaflets during consultations to explain diagnoses and treatment options clearly, reduce confusion, and provide patients with reliable, easy-to-understand content they can print, download, or take home. By embedding accurate, accessible information into routine care, HSE supports confident clinical decisions and improves patient outcomes across Ireland.
According to a 2024 internal HSE library report, these materials are widely used during consultations and have logged 288,000 sessions and 1.7 million interactions within a year.
Traditionally focused on supporting healthcare staff, HSE’s network of 28 libraries has expanded its scope to include patient advocacy and education. The shift is reinforced by a 2021 survey from the National Health Library and Knowledge Service, which found that access to accurate information improves patient outcomes, reduces diagnostic errors, and alleviates pressure on healthcare systems.
Encouraged by the uptake of BMJ Best Practice, HSE is considering creating a new role dedicated to developing evidence-based patient content, promoting health literacy, and strengthening support for informed decision-making across the healthcare system.
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