Empowering Patients: The Importance of Patient Education

Patient education involves providing individuals with information about their health conditions, treatments, and self-care practices. It empowers patients to make informed decisions, manage their conditions, and improve outcomes.
Category
Health Education
Where to get
Offered in healthcare settings, community centers, and online resources to enhance patient knowledge and engagement.
Disease-understanding
Knowledge about medical conditions
Self-care-guidance
Skills for managing health at home
Shared-decision-making
Collaborative treatment planning
Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Patient Education FAQ


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Why is patient education a basic human need?

Education, an interactive process in which learning takes place, is a basic human need ( Fry, Ketteridge, & Marshall, 2009 ). Patient education is a process by which health professionals impart information to patients and their caregivers to improve health status and encourages involvement in decision making related to ongoing care and treatment.

What is patient education?

As the AAFP’s definition emphasizes, it is the entire process of influencing patient behavior, not only the things you say, that make up the content of patient education. This includes building trust with the patient by using your active listening skills, behaving professionally, and even the way you do a physical exam on patients.

How do physicians promote patient education & engagement?

Physicians must promote patient education and engagement through improvement in patients' health literacy. Health literacy is defined as the capacity to seek, understand, and act on health information ( 4 ).

Why is patient education important?

The significance of patient educations goes beyond just providing knowledge about conditions and medical treatments. But it also helps patients understand how to navigate various medical devices that improve the treatment experience.

What types of patient education materials does UpToDate offer?

Patient level information — UpToDate offers two types of patient education materials. The Basics — The Basics patient education pieces answer the four or five key questions a patient might have about a given condition. These articles are best for patients who want a general overview and who prefer short, easy-to-read materials.

Who provides patient education?

The systematic review by Loveman et al (2008) included four studies in which patient education appears to have been provided by one person. The individual educators included diabetes research technician, diabetes nurse, physician, or physician assistant.

Patient Education References

If you want to know more about Patient Education, consider exploring links below:

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