Patient Education in Challenging Times

1. Patient Education in Challenging Times Invaluable to patients & families Heather Ead RN, BScN, Clinical Educator Perioperative Services – West Toronto, Trillium Health Centre

2. Education – An Active Process • Education and learning are active processes • Participative & interactive • Neglecting this principle creates obstacles • We all have a role in education

3. Life Long Learning

4. Education - Increasingly Important • Quality of life • Better outcomes • Growing prevalence of chronic illness • Independence, empowerment • Better prepared • Reduced anxiety

5. Some common Myths • “the patients are too ill to learn” • “showing a video or giving a pamphlet is equivalent to health teaching” • “I don’t have time to teach”

6. Is there Time? • Teaching on the go/multi-tasking • Teachable moments • Even just 5 minutes of health teaching can make a difference

7. Providing Effective Education • Keep it simple • Avoid confusing “health care” language • Use additional resources • Remember that anxiety is a barrier to learning • Repeat, repeat and then repeat

8. Confirming Understanding • Interactive approach; ask questions (open ended) • Relate education back to the individual • Take turns; have the patient repeat back key points for confirmation

9. Andragogy • Andragogy is the art and science of adult learning Adults learners are: 1. Self directed 2. Task orientated 3. Experienced

10. Learning Styles • We learn more effectively when teaching matches our style • Ensure you use some methods that meet each of the 4 types

11. Learning Styles

12. I Forget…. After 2 weeks we only remember….

13. Educational Materials • 12 font or larger • NOT ALL CAPS! • Proper use of white space • Common language • Bold only headings or for emphasis • Illustrations to clarify/augment info

14. Low Literacy Skills What percentage of North Americans have low literacy skills? a) 10% b) 25% c) 46% d) 60%

15. 46% is Significant There is a link between low literacy and; • Poor health • Less access to health info • Less able to follow Tx plans & instructions • More likely to delay seeking Tx

16. Reading Level • Literacy = ability to read, write & interpret • Decoding and processing information • Computer programs can identify reading level • Calculations “SMOG” • More than 3 polysyllables , let it be

17. Body Language Counts Our words account for ______% of a message. a) 50% b) 90% c) 7%

18. Body Language Counts • Our words only account for 7% of the overall message • “paralanguage” influences the message too • Tone & volume of voice • Non-verbal behaviors • We should be aware of these components in our communication

19. In Summary • Use clear language • Recap info/summarize • Have patient repeat back • Evaluate and clarify as needed

20. Put Down the Shovel • Education is not filling the pail, but lighting a fire (Yeats)

21. References • Belton & Simpson (2003). The How to of Patient Education • Herndon, Kornblith & Holland (2008). Patient education as predictor of survival in lung cancer clinical trials. J of Clinical Oncology • Haines et al. (2009). Patient education for neck pain. The Spine Journal • Koo, Krass & Aslani. (2006) Enhancing patient education about medication. Health Expectations.