Changing roles of patient information leaflets in the UK: A corpus-assisted discourse analysis

Abstract

Effective health communication with non-expert audiences is crucial to empower patients to make informed decisions about their medications. Patient information leaflets (PILs), which accompany medicines, aim to provide essential information about the medication, its administration, precautions, and potential side effects. The contents and objectives of PILs have changed over time, following the shift towards a patient-centered healthcare. With the aim of capturing this shift, this study uses corpus-assisted discourse analysis to analyse two corpora of British PILs across two distinct periods, 1900–1930 and 2010–2020. This paper combines quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate linguistic and pragmatic trends and the change in PILs’ communicative roles. The findings reveal that early 20th-century PILs frequently relied on persuasive, promotional rhetoric with limited scientific grounding, whereas contemporary PILs prioritise accuracy, patient education, and adherence to regulatory standards. This shift reflects changes in regulatory frameworks and a move towards fostering patient autonomy.