1. 56
Patient Education
Lesson 1:
Teaching Methods and Strategies

2. Lesson Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to:
Define and spell the terms to learn for this chapter.
List and describe five methods that help adults learn.
Create a public relations brochure for the office.

3. Lesson Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to:
Identify at least six teaching methods and strategies to use for patient education.
Describe the process used when developing a teaching plan.

4. Patient Education
Patient education important component of health care delivery and treatment
Patient education is a right
All patients have the right to receive information on how to manage their own health needs

5. Patient-Centered Education
Lifestyle changes that might improve the patient's health
Preparation instructions for a specific treatment, procedure, or surgery
Suggestions to improve patient compliance on therapy or medication
Disease-specific information geared to educate the patient about his or her own health behaviors

6. Patient-Centered Education
Education process begins with assessment; evaluation of patient's needs
Next step is to plan or determine how to begin the task of teaching

7. Patient-Centered Education
Implementing the plan involves teaching patient specifically what to do
Have examples in the office of materials you are suggesting patient should use

8. FIGURE Visual aids, such as proper walking shoes and a pedometer, or an illustration showing someone properly dressed and equipped for walking, can provide the patient with an additional level of understanding. Syda Productions/Shutterstock

9. Patient-Centered Education
Next, document the teaching you have done by charting it in patient's health record to ensure continuity of care
At patient's next office visit, remind the physician to ask patient how the plan is going; this phase called evaluation
Physician must always order patient education required for patients

10. FIGURE The physician and medical assistant will often work together to choose appropriate educational materials for patients. YinYang/Getty Images

11. Patient-Centered Education
How Adults Learn
Adult learning is active process
Activities and techniques that call for participation, such as role-playing and demonstrations, will achieve more and faster learning than those that do not
Lecture is not as useful as role-playing for patient learning

12. Patient-Centered Education
How Adults Learn
Learning must be self-directed for adults
Practical application of learning desired by most adult learners
Learning able to provide immediate application will be retained longer

13. Patient-Centered Education
How Adults Learn
Compile a list of community resources that can be recommended to patients
Create a community resource brochure and a public relations brochure

14. Patient-Centered Education
How Adults Learn
Adults prefer group-learning atmosphere because of mutual support
For learning to be effective, it must be reinforced
Motivational incentives: better health, improved appearance, pride of accomplishment, self-confidence, praise from others

15. Creating a Community Resource Brochure
Choose a specific topic
Using the Internet, local telephone books, and local newspaper, identify community resources available to help patients regarding your topic

16. Creating a Community Resource Brochure
Create attractive brochure for distribution to patients that includes name, location, phone number, services offered by the selected resources

17. Creating a Community Resource Brochure
Check brochure for spelling and grammatical errors before printing
Print one copy and do another spelling and grammar check on printed document

18. Creating a Community Resource Brochure
After brochure edited for errors and is polished, obtain approval from physician to print and distribute brochures to patients as necessary or to display in office reception area

19. Creating a Public Relations Brochure
Gather necessary data
Office name and type of practice
Office hours
Office address
Names and information about physicians
Insurance plans accepted

20. Creating a Public Relations Brochure
Gather necessary data
Payment expectations
Emergency management procedures
Prescription refill procedures
Local hospital affiliations and privileges

21. Creating a Public Relations Brochure
Check your brochure for spelling and grammatical errors before printing
Print one copy and perform another spelling and grammar check on printed document

22. Creating a Public Relations Brochure
After brochure has been edited for errors and is polished, obtain approval from office manager or physician to print and distribute brochures to patients

23. Developing Patient Education
Teaching Methods
Chosen and based on characteristics and preferences of the learner
Rather than using one teaching method or technique, use combination to enhance patients' learning experience while maintaining their interest

24. Patient Teaching Methods
Lecture
Formal report or instructions delivered to patient with little interaction between teacher and learner
Efficient; no limit to number of learners

25. Patient Teaching Methods
Lecture
No interaction to handle individual learner confusion
May be boring for learner
Patients who need general knowledge
Large groups

26. Patient Teaching Methods
Role-Play
Short play in which learner participates in "playing out" the story
Learner sees how others might do something
Learner involvement
Time consuming
Learner must be willing to "play" the role

27. Patient Teaching Methods
Role-Play
Patients with chronic diseases
Patients learning new interactions
Handling unusual situations that cannot be demonstrated

28. Critical Thinking Question
What scenario can you think of where role-playing might be useful in teaching a patient a new skill?

29. Patient Teaching Methods
Case Problems
Applies information to real situations
Believable
Concrete rather than abstract
Significant facts may be missing
Effectiveness depends on teacher
Patients who must apply new knowledge
May be difficult to see
Limited to small group

30. Patient Teaching Methods
Demonstration/Return Demonstration
Showing patients how to do something and then immediately having them do the same procedure
Presents standards for performance both visually and orally
Allows learner to know it can be done

31. Patient Teaching Methods
Demonstration/Return Demonstration
Patients may be nervous about demonstrating something new
Patients who need to understand cause and effect
Patients who must learn new skills

32. Patient Teaching Methods
Contracting
Setting up goals with clear behaviors and responsibilities for patient
Requires learner involvement
Promotes learner's strengths
Identifies acceptable goals
Requires learner decision making

33. Patient Teaching Methods
Contracting
May be threatening
Time consuming
Patients with chronic disease
Well patients who wish to change health habits

34. Patient Teaching Methods
Use of Significant Other
Teaching close relative/friend the same information the patient receives
Provides learner support and reinforcement
Learning continues at home
Other person must be willing to help
Other person may be a negative influence

35. Patient Teaching Methods
Use of Significant Other
Other person may foster dependence
Elderly patients and those with disabilities
Patients whose compliance is in question

36. Patient Teaching Methods
Past Experiences
Building learning on what has been learned in the past rather than creating a new set of knowledge
Identifies potential problems
Makes patient more comfortable
Depends on ability to recall

37. Patient Teaching Methods
Past Experiences
Requires insight
Patients who are anxious or overwhelmed
Patients who must change behavior

38. Patient Teaching Methods
Group Teaching
Bringing together patients who have common learning needs
Efficient and economical
Participants support each other
Participants actively involved
Group may digress
Some cultures discourage open discussion

39. Patient Teaching Methods
Group Teaching
Transportation may be a problem
Difficult for all to agree on a time
Patients and families with common learning needs

40. Patient Teaching Methods
Programmed Instruction
Printed instructions that force learner to understand one concept before going on to the next
Every correct response builds toward the next question

41. Patient Teaching Methods
Programmed Instruction
Can be computer assisted
Active learner participation
Individual pacing
Encourages independence

42. Patient Teaching Methods
Programmed Instruction
Provides immediate feedback
May be impersonal and boring
Patient must be literate
Lack of personal involvement between patient and teacher
Patient must be self-motivated
Self-motivated learners
Accommodates lower reading level

43. Patient Teaching Methods
Simulations (Games)
To create pretend scenario for learning purposes
Involves patient in learning process
Nonthreatening
Allows patients to see knowledge previously learned
Some patients dislike competition

44. Patient Teaching Methods
Simulations (Games)
Some patients do not like or are intimidated by games
Some patients have difficulty following directions or with abstract ideas
Adults and children with acute problems, chronic problems or health promotion issues

45. Patient Teaching Methods
Tests of Knowledge
Short questions that relate to patient's knowledge of the subject
Evaluates patient's knowledge at that moment
Gives patient a feeling of accomplishment
Raises patient's awareness

46. Patient Teaching Methods
Tests of Knowledge
May make patients anxious
Time consuming
May embarrass patients with lack of knowledge
Adults and children who must apply knowledge

47. Patient Teaching Methods
Printed Handouts
Brochures or instruction sheets printed for main purpose of imparting knowledge to the patient
Promotes consistency
Gives visual reinforcement
Must be accompanied by verbal teaching

48. Patient Teaching Methods
Printed Handouts
Difficult to create because clarity and simplicity are required
Well patients
Patients who must remember difficult information

49. Patient Teaching Methods
Diagrams
Picture models of concepts
Offers visual reinforcement
Attracts attention of the patient
Shows proportions and relationships

50. Patient Teaching Methods
Diagrams
Must be accurate
May require artistic skill to produce
Preschoolers
People with limited reading/vocabulary levels

51. Patient Teaching Methods
Models
Miniature (usually) representation of an object produced in substance, such as clay or plaster
Encourages patient participation
Offers direct application of skill
May be expensive
School-age children
Adults practicing a skill

52. Patient Teaching Methods
Video
Slide presentation or moving picture
Re-creates real-life situations
Effective for patients with limited reading skills
Too fast for the elderly adult

53. Patient Teaching Methods
Video
May be expensive
Takes time to set up and run
Groups of patients
Health maintenance material
Video player in waiting room

54. Developing Patient Education
Teaching Plans
Includes learning objectives and an outline of content that will be covered
Learning objective is desired outcome or concept you want learner to understand or demonstrate after teaching completed
Good teaching plan can be easily modified and adapted for patients with special needs

55. Developing Patient Education
Learning Environments
Ideal if patient education can take place in a well-lit room with privacy
Leaving patient education materials in examination room allows patients to take brochures discreetly
If required to teach patient how to use equipment, have it available for demonstration

56. Developing Patient Education
Learning Environments
If patient asks you a question you cannot answer, be honest with patient and tell them you will get back to them with the answer
Using language and communication skills that are not suited to the learner creates roadblocks to effective patient learning

57. Developing Patient Education
Roadblocks to Effective Patient Learning
Ordering, commanding, and directing patient to learn through force or negative tones
Warning or threatening remarks
Moralizing or preaching
Judging
Criticizing
Name calling, stereotyping, labeling

58. Developing Patient Education
Roadblocks to Effective Patient Learning
Sarcasm
Anxiety
Culturally inappropriate treatment plans
Speaking loudly to a blind person
Age-inappropriate speech

59. Developing Patient Education
Culture influences learning and can affect:
Readiness
Values
Feelings of inclusion

60. Developing Patient Education
Culture influences learning and can affect:
What aspect of learning the patients choose
How they apply it in their own homes
Use of personal space, distances maintained, facial expressions, body movements, gestures, expressions can be misinterpreted

61. Developing Patient Education
Teaching Resources
DVD players
Compact discs
Videos
Pamphlets
Websites

62. Developing Patient Education
Electronic Health Records
Targeted patient education information via
Requires authorization from patient
Efficient and cost-effective means to deliver patient education

63. Questions? 63