@article {Teasdalebjgp19X701873, author = {Emma Teasdale and Anna Lalonde and Ingrid Muller and Joanne Chalmers and Peter Smart and Julie Hooper and Magdy El-Gohary and Kim S Thomas and Miriam Santer}, title = {Patients{\textquoteright} understanding of cellulitis and their information needs: a mixed-methods study in primary and secondary care}, elocation-id = {bjgp19X701873}, year = {2019}, doi = {10.3399/bjgp19X701873}, publisher = {Royal College of General Practitioners}, abstract = {Background Cellulitis is a painful infection of the skin and underlying tissues, commonly affecting the lower leg. Approximately one-third of people experience recurrence. Patients{\textquoteright} ability to recover from cellulitis or prevent recurrence is likely to be influenced by their understanding of the condition.Aim To explore patients{\textquoteright} perceptions of cellulitis, and their information needs.Design and setting Mixed-methods study comprising semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and a cross-sectional survey, recruiting through primary and secondary care, and advertising.Method Adults aged >=18 years with a history of cellulitis were invited to take part in a survey, qualitative interview, or both.Results In all, 30 interviews were conducted between August 2016 and July 2017. Qualitative data highlighted a low awareness of cellulitis before the first episode, uncertainty about when it had been diagnosed, concern/surprise at the severity of cellulitis, and a perceived insufficient information provision. People were surprised that they had never heard of cellulitis and that they had not received advice or leaflets giving self-care information. Some sought information from the internet and found this confusing.A total of 240 surveys were completed (response rate 17\%). These showed that, although many participants had received information on the treatment of cellulitis (60.0\%, n = 144), they often reported receiving no information about causes (60.8\%, n = 146) or prevention of recurrence (73.3\%, n = 176).Conclusion There is a need to provide information for people with cellulitis, particularly in regard to naming their condition, the management of acute episodes, and how to reduce the risk of recurrences.}, issn = {0960-1643}, URL = {https://bjgp.org/content/early/2019/03/11/bjgp19X701873}, eprint = {https://bjgp.org/content/early/2019/03/11/bjgp19X701873.full.pdf}, journal = {British Journal of General Practice} }