Standardized education in measured doses works best
Standardized education in measured doses works best
Don't overwhelm patients with too much info
The most obvious difference in home health disease management patient education material and materials commonly used in health care is the switch from a medical focus to a patient-centered focus, says Joan Haizlip, MSN, RN, CS, director of programs and education at VNA First/Innovative Healthcare Solutions in Naperville, IL. "Patient education needs to change behavior, not just present information, if the disease management program is to be successful," she says.
Another challenge to developing patient education material today is the fact that nearly half of all American adults have difficulty understanding and using health information, and there is a higher rate of hospitalization and use of emergency services among patients with limited health literacy.1 This increases the importance of making sure that patient education materials are written at a fourth or fifth grade reading level as compared to the typical tenth-through-twelfth-grade level at which most health care material is written, says Haizlip.
"Too many home health agencies let their clinicians choose the patient education tools that they want to use, and they almost always choose materials that are at a higher level than most patients understand," says Haizlip. Simple terms, no healthcare jargon, and cultural sensitivity are necessary for good patient education materials, she says. "Also, look at the materials' appearance," she suggests. When a patient handout has been copied from copies so many times that the ink blurs, it is unreadable, she points out.
Disease management programs also require standardized materials that present information based on scientific evidence and best practices, says Haizlip. For this reason, it is not always the best idea to let agency nurses develop the materials, she says. "Nurses might spend thousands of hours creating something that already exists, then they don't have the time or resources to update it whenever there is new information," she says. "There are many standards and guidelines available through different professional associations that can be used to develop patient education materials, and there are many publishers of patient education materials," she says. Just be sure to review the materials carefully to check for literacy requirements and up-to-date standards of care, she adds.
Time education carefully
When you present patient education information is just as important as the type of materials you use, says Haizlip. "It's easy to hand a patient a book on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and make sure that information on medications, when to call 911, and home safety issues are covered," she admits. What isn't easy is to ensure that the patient understands all of the information.
"Disease management care plans require that we teach the patient the different states of disease, symptoms, causes of exacerbation, and how to treat the symptoms," says Haizlip. This requirement means that nurses need to present information, listen to the patient repeat the information and watch the patient demonstrate use of equipment or medication, she explains. To be sure that patients understand what is taught, don't teach everything at one visit, she suggests.
"Align your teaching with what you will be doing at that visit," Haizlip suggests. "Review material taught at previous visits, or introduce new material when you know that the patient understands what you've already taught," she says. Leave all of the printed educational material at the first visit and tell the patient and the family caregiver to look through it and write down questions that they want the nurse to answer at the next visit.
Also, look for telehealth equipment that interacts with patients as well, says Haizlip. "Telehealth equipment can prompt the patient with questions related to a weight gain," she says. Asking the patient if there has been a change in diet, or an increase in salt intake, can reinforce teaching and help the patient learn to solve issues related to the disease, she says.
Reference
1. Institute of Medicine. Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press; 2004.
The most obvious difference in home health disease management patient education material and materials commonly used in health care is the switch from a medical focus to a patient-centered focus.Subscribe Now for Access
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