Principles Guiding The Use Of Patient Education Handouts
>> Friday, January 10, 2014
Patient education handouts have become part and parcel of modern day healthcare provision. They have helped greatly in communication between a healthcare facility and the clients. It should be remembered that it is the right of every patient to know about the services provided by a given institution. Due to the importance of these communication tools, you need to have some knowledge regarding how you can make and use them appropriately.
There are two types of handouts that one can choose from. These are the locally produced (within the facility) and those that are obtained commercially (pre-printed). Each type is associated with both advantages and disadvantages. Commercially available types have the advantage of being easy to obtain but are usually more expensive. In addition, they do not usually convey the message as desired. Locally produced materials are labour intensive but are cheap and convey the message precisely.
When developing the materials, one of the most important things to do is to develop objectives that will help guide the process. You need to know the intended goals from the beginning. For example, your aim may be to educate your patient on their condition and nothing else. Alternatively, it may be a way of ensuring that they are adherent to the prescribed treatments. Another common objective is to encourage the clients to modify their behaviours.
There are a number of factors that will determine the type of design that will be adopted. The type of design will be determined by whether it will only be required once or is meant for day-to-day reference. Figure out if you will want them to write down a few things (in which case you have to provide space for this) or you want them to read and get rid of it. The primary target must be clearly identified. This may be the entire clientele or persons with specific conditions.
Ensure that you choose an appropriate writing style. It is very important to ensure that medical jargon is avoided as much as possible. The use of technical terms must be accompanied by simple definitions. Use the active form of speech when communicating with your readers rather than the passive form of speech. This is because the former is better understood. At the same time, try to use the second person instead of the third person.
Complex sentences are often confusing and should not be used. Instead choose simple, short sentences that communicate your message precisely. The number of words that contain more than three syllables should be as few as possible. Once the content has been written down, you can check readability by using a few sample clients. Ask for areas of difficulties and make changes as appropriate.
The language and style chosen vary depending on the education level of the target group. It may be necessary to conduct some form of research to determine the education level of your client pool. If this cannot be accurately determined, then the simplest style and language should be chosen. Make sure that your content is accurate and up to date.
Using patient education handouts is associated with numerous advantages. These tools help in educating the clients and thus ease on the burden on the healthcare provider. When used in the right manner, they are very effective.
There are two types of handouts that one can choose from. These are the locally produced (within the facility) and those that are obtained commercially (pre-printed). Each type is associated with both advantages and disadvantages. Commercially available types have the advantage of being easy to obtain but are usually more expensive. In addition, they do not usually convey the message as desired. Locally produced materials are labour intensive but are cheap and convey the message precisely.
When developing the materials, one of the most important things to do is to develop objectives that will help guide the process. You need to know the intended goals from the beginning. For example, your aim may be to educate your patient on their condition and nothing else. Alternatively, it may be a way of ensuring that they are adherent to the prescribed treatments. Another common objective is to encourage the clients to modify their behaviours.
There are a number of factors that will determine the type of design that will be adopted. The type of design will be determined by whether it will only be required once or is meant for day-to-day reference. Figure out if you will want them to write down a few things (in which case you have to provide space for this) or you want them to read and get rid of it. The primary target must be clearly identified. This may be the entire clientele or persons with specific conditions.
Ensure that you choose an appropriate writing style. It is very important to ensure that medical jargon is avoided as much as possible. The use of technical terms must be accompanied by simple definitions. Use the active form of speech when communicating with your readers rather than the passive form of speech. This is because the former is better understood. At the same time, try to use the second person instead of the third person.
Complex sentences are often confusing and should not be used. Instead choose simple, short sentences that communicate your message precisely. The number of words that contain more than three syllables should be as few as possible. Once the content has been written down, you can check readability by using a few sample clients. Ask for areas of difficulties and make changes as appropriate.
The language and style chosen vary depending on the education level of the target group. It may be necessary to conduct some form of research to determine the education level of your client pool. If this cannot be accurately determined, then the simplest style and language should be chosen. Make sure that your content is accurate and up to date.
Using patient education handouts is associated with numerous advantages. These tools help in educating the clients and thus ease on the burden on the healthcare provider. When used in the right manner, they are very effective.
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