Health education Prepared by Dr-Essmat Gemaey

After completion of this session the student should be able to 1-Define Health education. 2-Identify the purpose of therapeutic communication 3-Compaire and contrast among Methods of health education 4-Demonstrate the art of Hearing Data

1-Definition 2-Factors affecting effective communication 3- Method of health education 4- The Art of Hearing Data Outlines

Definition Means instruction in understandings, attitudes and behavior in regard to the several dimensions of health. This instruction relates to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, safety, mental health, nutrition, dental health, sensory perception, disease prevention and control, environmental and public health, consumer health, first aid, and other health-related areas.

N B Poor education of patients is clearly a product of poor communication skills on the part of the clinician

To effectively communicator First assess what the patient already knows and-1 2-Then ask questions to determine what he or she might be wondering -Not all patients will be approaching with questions3- So be prepared to probe empathetically to discover their most basic concerns and fears Educating a patient involves providing increased knowledge and understanding while at the same time, decreasing uncertainty and anxiety

The nurse must answer the following question (Whom) To whom you are going to give health education E.g. mother, patients, and family (Who) Who will do health educator? It may be 1.Professional, Physician, nurse 2 Non professional, Teacher, Religious, & Social worker

(When) During visits the clinic, all the time (Where) At school, PHC (How) ????????????

Method of health education Direct & indirect, audiovisual aids used Group discussion, Community organization, demonstration & role-play -Resources Places, time, manpower, posters, film, Equipment -Facilities Presence of clinics, mass media reach to every person -Difficulties Lake of health centers place for teaching, no interest, culture, attitude

Topic for health education 1-Nutrition 2-Anemia 3.Growth & Development in first year 4.Diarrhea 5.Vaccination (care before & after vaccination) 6.Accident prevention Folk beliefs of certain groups may also affect learning The client's health beliefs & practices provides a predictor of preventive health behavior

Direct methods First The learner may be aware of gaps in knowledge & may specifically ask for information Second By listening attentively to the comment the learner makes on the questions asked Third Observe behavior, which shows a need for learning Fourth Ask questions of the learner

Indirect methods Existing record (Hospital, PHC, school, vital status census, insurance, death certificate, registration, notification, morbidity surveys annual reports) Health care professionals Anticipatory learning needs related to the client’s health problem often is known by health professional

Selecting teaching strategies The method of teaching chosen by the nurse or the teacher should be suited to the individual, to the material to be learned to the available resources & to the teacher.

The Art of Hearing Data 1. Qualitative data is the "social construction of the patients reality" using open-ended questions 2. Be consistent and neutral when interacting 3. Avoid agreeing or disagreeing with a patient. 4. Avoid indicating that a answer is ‘right,’ ‘wrong,’ ‘good,’ ‘poor,’ or ‘interesting

Cont Avoid suggesting an answer or interpreting a question for a patient. Avoid giving your own opinions

To encourage the patient to continue, use a neutral and ‘ minimal encourager ’ [ Best option: a five-second silence] “Uh-huh.” “I see.” “O.K.” ****To learn more about a patient’s viewpoint “Can you tell me more about that?”

To clarify a confused point “I’m not sure I understand. Would you explain further?” To clarify a vague point “Would you give me an example of that?” If you are caught off guard by a patient’s response or something goes unexpectedly wrong, give yourself a little time to regroup

If a patient doesn ’ t understand or know how to answer a question “I’ll repeat the question for you. The question was: ______” [Then pause] Use open ended questions: “What brings you to the hospital?… Anything else?… Tell me about it.”

Additional ways of gaining information : – Facilitation (posture, actions or words that communicate interest) –Reflection (repeating a phrase or word the patient has used) –Clarification (asking what the patient meant) –Empathetic Responses (recognizing through actions and words the feelings of the patient) –Enquire About Feelings (associated with symptoms, events or other matters) –Interpretation (indicating in your words the symptoms, events or other matters).

To get specific details - Ask direct questions –Use language the patient understands –Express questions neutrally –Ask about one item at a time –Proceed from the general to the specific

Types of channels include Mass media Interpersonal transactions and Community-based interactions. Each channel has its own characteristics and advantages and disadvantages, as listed below:

Mass Media (radio, television, newspapers, magazines Advantages: can reach many people quickly can provide information to a large group can help change and reinforce attitudes Disadvantages: are less personal and intimate are less trusted by some people do not permit interaction offer limited time and space

Community Channels (schools, employers, community meetings and organizations, churches/religious institutions, special events) Advantages: may be familiar, trusted, and influential may be more likely than media alone to motivate/support behavior change can reach groups of people at once can sometimes be inexpensive can offer shared experiences Disadvantages: can sometimes be costly can be time consuming

Interpersonal Channels(interview ) (e.g., hotline counselors, parents, health care providers, clergy, educators) Advantages: can be credible can permit two-way discussion can be motivational, influential, supportive Disadvantages: can be expensive can be time consuming can have limited target audience reach

Selecting the Appropriate Channel The appropriate channel or channels for a specific project can be selected by assessing whether the channel is: 1-Likely to reach a significant portion of the target audience. (Local media outlets can provide a demographic profile of their viewers/readers/listeners.) 2-Likely to reach them often enough to provide adequate exposure for the message/program. 3-Credible for the target audience.