What is patient education? 

Patient education is the process of informing patients about their health conditions, treatments, procedures, medications, and preventive measures. 

Goals of client education are: 

• Improve understanding
• Promote self-management and self-care
• Increase compliance 
• Improve collaboration between the client and healthcare providers

Patient education always needs to be tailored to the individual’s needs, abilities, and preferences. Tools for client education can include verbal explanations and instructions, written materials, demonstrations, or even multimedia presentations. 

Why is patient education important? 

Patient education has been proven to have a variety of positive effects in patient outcomes and more efficient healthcare delivery: 

• Patients understanding their conditions and treatments leads to enhanced compliance with treatment plans and medication adherence.
• Teaching skills to manage (chronic) conditions can prevent complications and improve the quality of life of patients. Reduced readmissions due to prevention of complications and improved self-care reduces healthcare costs. 
• Understanding their situation facilitates informed decision-making by clients and reduces anxiety. 

Why is the role of nurses in patient education? 

Nurses are central to patient education, acting as educators, facilitators, and advocates to enhance patients’ understanding, compliance, and outcomes. Their role encompasses a holistic approach, considering not just the medical aspects but also the emotional and social dimensions of care.

What is the teach-back method? 

The teach-back method is an evidence-based communication strategy with the goal of ensuring clients fully comprehend the information provided by their healthcare provider. 

The steps are as follows: 

1. Explain the concept, instruction, or procedure to the client.
2. Ask the client to explain the information back to the healthcare provider in their own words. 
3. Clarify everything that may be revealed to be unclear or misunderstood, then again ask for teach back. 
4. Continue until you have confirmed complete understanding of the information by the client. 

The teach-back method is considered the gold standard of validating client education. Other ways of validating patient education are the client verbalizing understanding (e.g., “I will call if…”), or written validation. 

Note: Having the patient explain the information back to you does not test the patient, but instead confirms how well the nurse conveyed and explained the information to them. 

Tips for effective patient education in nursing

• Assess factors influencing clients’ learning condition before planning any education.
• Obtain translator if client is not fluent in languages you speak.
• Reach out to other healthcare personnel for support (e.g., an occupational therapist) if client has abilities that alter their learning.
• Identify and document reasons if client is unwilling or faces barriers to learning.
• Attempt to provide a quiet or private location for education (even small measures, like drawing a bedside curtain or closing a door can help).
• Consider relevant learning materials (e.g., a medication information sheet, videos) to supplement client education.
• Offer client materials to write and take notes with.
• When appropriate, use hands-on education activities or provide information about support groups.

Reach out to specialists to provide supplemental information (e.g., physical therapists, diabetes educators).