Is patient education invisible?
“Patient education is often invisible in management’s eyes
because it is frequently undocumented, unmonitored, and underappreciated
for the skill and experience it demands.
The positive impact of effective patient education
on health outcomes and costs
is not taken into account in day-to-day health care delivery.”
From: Rankin, S. H., Stallings, K. D. & London, F. (2005). Patient Education in Health and Illness (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Page 119.
After saving lives, the most important thing we do is patient and family education. It is not a task. It is how we provide health care.
Take a moment to imagine what a health care encounter would look like if there was no patient education.
Imagine no one teaches the patient or family anything. . .
It wouldn’t be health care at all, would it?
Long term improved health outcomes would not happen without teaching. Patients need to learn and practice self-care skills that keep our interventions working. They need to know how to recognize problems, and know how to respond. They need to incorporate new behaviors into their lives to promote health. That’s patient education.
Providing quality patient and family education does demand knowledge, skill, and experience. Recognize its value, and the clear return on investment. Measure its effectiveness. Claim the teaching you do!
© (2009) Fran London, MS, RN
2 Responses to “Is patient education invisible?”
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“They need to know how to recognize problems, and respond.”
Well said, Fran. I just read an article online the other day about a mom in Arizona that was mistakenly given a CT scan while she was pregnant, and now the family suspects that the child is having growth issues because of it. The mom described how she never questioned her caregivers in the hospital because she trusted that they knew what they were doing! Where was the education prior to the procedure, about what the CT scan was, and why it was needed? If this info had been shared with the mom, she likely would have realized that the procedure was intended for another person, and it could have empowered her to speak up. This is what I thought of when you said in your blog “to imagine what a health care encounter would look like with no patient education.”
Patient education not only helps people learn and practice self-care, but helps them to become better advocates for themselves, and better partners in their own care when they need to seek out health care services.
I’ve often felt that patient education is invisible not only for the important reasons that you shared already but because we are not intentional enough when we teach and families don’t realize that they’re even being taught.
Many families feel it’s the physican who did the teaching because when they are in there the information is imparted formally. Nurses often teach informally and conversationally. This is a great way to build rapport, but could be better if what was added to that conversation is a tagline like, “the reason I’m telling you this is because I want you to understand why, or what you need to (fill in the blank) for your child at home. Can you tell me what you heard so that I know that I did a good job?” This way not only did you flag the teaching, but you tested for understanding and health literacy at the same time.