Patient Education 101

1. Patient Education 101 BACK TO SCHOOL Presented by HRMC Cardiac Rehab Staff

2. JCAHO Defines Patient Education • The goal of educating the patient and/or family is to improve patient health outcomes by promoting recovery, speeding return to function, promoting healthy behavior, and appropriately involving the patient in his or her health decisions.

3. Benefits of the Educated Patient • Knowledge is power-we want our patient to be their own health care advocate (empowerment) • Improves proactive vs. reactive behavior • Decreases possibility of further interventions……thus decreases cost

4. Principles of Adult Learning Adults are autonomous and self-directed most adults do well if they are involved in health care decisions.

5. Principles of Adult Learning Adults have accumulated life experience and knowledge base Utilize those experiences to facilitate learning.

6. Principles of Adult Learning • Adults are practical learners. • Adults are natural problem solvers and want to learn things of immediate use to them. • Adults are relevancy- oriented learners.

7. Principles of Adult Learning • R-E-S-P-E-C-T • Above all else be respectful of adult learners

8. Health Belief Model • Does the patient believe that a negative health condition can be avoided (another MI) • Does the patient have a positive expectation that by taking recommended action the negative health condition could be avoided • Does the patient believe he/she can successfully follow recommendation

9. Assess: Readiness to learn • Is the patient depressed or anxious? • Is the patient in denial of condition? • Is the patient pain free? • Is the patient exhausted from exercise?

10. Assess readiness for change • Pre-contemplation • Contemplation • Prep and action stage • Maintenance

11. Learning Preferences • Try to use several different types of media when teaching a group class • For example when teaching a class on CHF show a video, provide handouts and have a group question and discussion session…another good idea is provide websites for the computer savvy crowd

12. Barriers to Learning • Language barrier • Poor vision or hearing • Education level • Denial/Fear/PAIN

13. Teaching Methods • Is everyone teaching the same information • Have set topics with mutual main points. • Use similar/same handouts • Allow personalization of teaching - let staff members to be unique.

14. Teaching Methods • Group class but offer alternatives. • Use props and visual aids • Demonstration • Provide “need to know” info

15. Documentation of Education • Patient Education Record should include the following: • Dates education provided • Type of education provided • Evaluation of education

16. Establish Educational Goals • An optimal time to establish these goals is during the admission assessment. • Ask open ended questions. • From there staff can help the patient set goals based on what the patient needs.

17. Persuasion by Authority • Patients respond to consistent and repeated verbal instructions and explanations of the need for specific behavior changes.

18. Successful performance • Success in behavior change makes that behavior easier to perform next time. • Conversely previous failure makes the positive behavior change harder.

19. Be realistic • The education provided in cardiac and pulmonary rehab indicates a need for lifestyle changes. • Change is HARD!!! • The only folks that embrace change are babies with dirty diapers.