Patient education
Patient education is the process by which health professionals and others impart information to patients and their caregivers that will alter their health behaviors or improve their health status.
Education may be provided by any Healthcare Professional who has undertaken appropriate training education, education on Patient communication and education is usually included in the Healthcare Professional's training.
Health education is also a tool used by managed care plans and may include both general preventive education or health promotion and disease or condition-specific education.
Important elements of patient education are skill building and responsibility: patients need to know when, how, and why they need to make a lifestyle change. Group effort is equally important: each member of the patient’s healthcare team needs to be involved.
The value of patient education can be summarised as follows:
Improved understanding of medical condition, diagnosis, disease, or disability.
Improved understanding of methods and means to manage multiple aspects of medical condition.
Improved self-advocacy in deciding to act both independently from medical providers and in interdependence with them.
Increased Compliance – Effective communication and patient education increases patient motivation to comply.
Patient Outcomes – Patients more likely to respond well to their treatment plan – fewer complications.
Informed Consent – Patients feel you’ve provided the information they need.
Utilization – More effective use of medical services – fewer unnecessary phone calls and visits.
Satisfaction and referrals – Patients more likely to stay with your practice and refer other patients.
Risk Management – Lower risk of malpractice when patients have realistic expectations.
The competencies of a health educator include the following:
Incorporate a personal ethic in regards to social responsibilities and services towards others.
Provide accurate, competent, and evidence-based care.
Practice preventative health care.
Focus on relationship-centered care with individuals and their families.
Incorporate the multiple determinants of health when providing care.
Be culturally sensitive and be open to a diverse society.
Use technology appropriately and effectively.
Be current in the field and continue to advance education.
As reimbursements and hospital/physician performance become ever more reliant on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and other quality metrics, physicians are increasingly incentivized to improve patient satisfaction. METHODS:
A faculty and resident team at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Neurological Surgery developed and implemented a Patient Education Bundle. This consisted of two parts: The first was preoperative expectation letters (designed to inform patients of what to expect before, during, and after their hospitalization for a neurosurgical procedure); the second was a trifold brochure with names, photographs, and specialty/training information about the attending surgeons, resident physicians, and nurse practitioners on the neurosurgical service. We assessed patient satisfaction, as measured by HCAHPS scores and a brief survey tailored to our specific intervention, both before and after our Patient Education Bundle intervention. RESULTS:
Prior to our intervention, 74.6% of patients responded that the MD always explained information in a way that was easy to understand. After our intervention, 78.7% of patients responded that the MD always explained information in a way that was easy to understand. “Neurosurgery Patient Satisfaction survey” results showed that 83% remembered receiving the preoperative letter; of those received the letter, 93% found the letter helpful; and 100% thought that the letter should be continued. CONCLUSION:
Although effects were modest, we believe that patient education strategies, as modeled in our bundle, can improve patients' hospital experiences and have a positive impact on physician performance scores and hospital ratings 1).