Content Of Patient Education Research Articles

Patient education practices in psychiatric hospital wards: A national survey in Finland

Background: Despite the fact that patients’ receiving of information is one of the fundamental rights of patients, there is still limited information available on how patient education is carried out in psychiatric healthcare organizations. Aims: The aim of this study was to describe patient education practices in adult acute psychiatric hospitals. Methods: A descriptive questionnaire survey was administered in all adult acute psychiatric wards in Finland. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. Results: A total of 55 head nurses participated in the study (response rate 60%). The content of patient education covered almost all investigated informational areas and patient education was mostly carried out orally and with leaflets. However, patients’ individual needs for certain communication methods were not met. Moreover, staff rarely received adequate on-the-job training. In the study wards, there were only few systematic procedures and instructions regarding patient education. Problems relating to the delivery of patient education were described in four themes: patients’ poor condition, lack of staff resources, discrepancies in procedures and poor operational conditions. Conclusion: Patient education in psychiatric hospitals covers the informational areas investigated. However, there are numerous quality gaps in the realization of patient education in psychiatric hospitals. The results of this study suggest that to ensure patients’ right to receive information, specific guidelines and instructions are needed for psychiatric patients. These guidelines and instructions should thoroughly consider different domains of patient education including content, communication methods, definition of patient's individual needs and delivery personnel.

Rheumatoid arthritis patient education: RA patients’ experience

The purpose of this paper is to describe the content of patient education as portrayed and evaluated by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Rheumatology nurses have an important role in educating and supporting RA patients. However, there is a lack of knowledge of the RA patients' own perspective of patient education. Survey. Data for this study were collected from 173 RA patients from 11 hospitals and 23 health centers using open-ended questions. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of the patients described the content of patient education and eighty-one percent (81%) evaluated it expressing their experience and satisfaction with it. Data were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric statistical tests. Rheumatology nurses mostly gave their RA patients information about how to use the anti-rheumatic drugs prescribed to them (26%). About half (51%) of the patients were satisfied with patient education. However, every fourth patient (24%) was not satisfied, the main reason for the dissatisfaction being that nurses did not focus on the patient's emotional support. The patients of over 57 years of age and those who had suffered from RA for over five years were more satisfied with their education than the others. It is important that rheumatology nurses, besides passing on medical treatment-related information, concentrate on RA patients' emotional well-being. The results provide a useful insight into RA patient education. Nurses should avoid merely passing on information in a routine workmanlike way. It is important that they take time to discuss their patients' feelings and worries especially with newly diagnosed patients. RA patient education should balance patients' information needs with their need for emotional support.

Design and implementation of an informed consent process before liver transplantation

In the past, the content of patient education was designed at the discretion of each individual transplant center and could vary greatly from center to center. Since the 2007 implementation of the guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, transplant centers have had to standardize the educational material they give to patients while generating an informed consent form to incorporate this required information. This article describes the development and use of an informed consent form and the educational process for potential liver transplant recipients at Columbia University Medical Center in adherence with the new regulations. This informed consent process can be used as a national model.

Design and Implementation of an Informed Consent Process before Liver Transplantation

In the past, the content of patient education was designed at the discretion of each individual transplant center and could vary greatly from center to center. Since the 2007 implementation of the guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, transplant centers have had to standardize the educational material they give to patients while generating an informed consent form to incorporate this required information. This article describes the development and use of an informed consent form and the educational process for potential liver transplant recipients at Columbia University Medical Center in adherence with the new regulations. This informed consent process can be used as a national model.

Designing a patient education framework via use case analysis.

One of the challenges of developing patient education content in electronic form is to determine the information and interaction needs that motivate a patient to learn in the first place. We have found that use case analysis of patient education helps in clarifying the types of information and interaction required to educate a patient effectively. This paper presents a use case model for patient education as well as a Java-based framework that facilitates both the extension and updating of individually tailored, electronic patient education content. The framework defines an abstract interface that represents a particular panel of information, and provides a content manager that dynamically discovers and refreshes new panels as they are added or modified.

Educational techniques used in occupational therapy treatment of cumulative trauma disorders of the elbow, wrist, and hand.

This study examined patient education techniques used by occupational therapists when treating cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) of the elbow, wrist, and hand. A self-administered survey was sent to 232 registered occupational therapists whose primary area of practice was hand therapy. The questionnaire sought information about specific content areas and methods (i.e., media, format) used to educate patients about preventing the recurrence of CTDs in the elbow, wrist, and hand. One hundred twenty-eight therapists responded to the survey. A majority of respondents (n = 116) reported that patient education content area consisted of anatomy of the joint, the CTD disease process, and job modification. Verbal instruction, illustrations, and pamphlets and handouts were the most frequently used forms of educational media. A majority of respondents (n = 111) also reported that individual interaction was the most common format of patient education. The findings indicate that a majority of therapists use the same patient education techniques with regard to content areas, media, and format, regardless of the area being treated (i.e., elbow, wrist, hand). Furthermore, it appears that therapists with specialty training in CTDs more frequently include anatomy of the elbow, job modification, and proper body mechanics in the content of their patient education about the elbow.

Patient education needs as reported by congestive heart failure patients and their nurses.

Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) need considerable education to enable them to provide effective self-care for their chronic illness. No information has been published about the learning needs of this population. The purpose of this study was to examine hospitalized CHF patients and their nurses' perceptions regarding the importance and realism of typical patient education content. An instrument to assess learning needs was developed and piloted for use in this study. Thirty hospitalized patients and 26 nurses were surveyed. Both nurses and patients rated all information as important to learn and realistic to learn during the patients' hospitalizations. Patients and nurses agreed that medication information was the most important to learn. Generally, patients rated information as more important than nurses rated the same information areas. Suggested nursing interventions and future research endeavours are addressed.