Process of patient teaching
- Assessment of learning needs involves 4 main areas:
- Physical factors
- What is the patient’s age?
- Is the patient acutely ill?
- Is the patient fatigued or in pain?
- What is the primary diagnosis?
- Are there additional medical problems?
- What is the patient’s current mental status?
- What is the patient’s hearing ability? Visual ability? Motor ability?
- What drugs does the patient take that may affect learning?
- Psychologic factors
- Does the patient appear anxious, afraid, depressed, and defensive?
- Is the patient in a state of denial?
- What is the patient’s level of motivation? Self-efficacy?
- Sociocultural factors
- What are the patient’s beliefs regarding his or her illness or treatment?
- Is proposed teaching consistent with the patient’s cultural values?
- What is the patient’s educational experience, reading ability, primary language?
- What is the patient’s present or past occupation?
- How does the patient describe his or her financial status?
- What is the patient’s living arrangement?
- Does the patient have family or close friends?
- Learner factors
- What does the patient already know about his or her health problem?
- What does the patient think is most important to learn?
- What prior learning experiences could act as a frame of reference for current learning needs?
- Is the patient ready to learn? Change behavior?
- How does the patient learn best (e.g., reading, listening, looking at pictures, doing, playing games)?
- In what kind of environment does the patient learn best? Formal classroom? Computer/Web-based setting? Informal setting, such as home? Alone or in a group?
- In what way should the caregiver(s) be involved in patient teaching?
- Physical factors
- Assessment
- Many factors influence ability and readiness to learn
- Adapt and modify teaching expectations and strategies based on individual and caregiver learning needs
- Learner Factors
- Learning needs
- New knowledge and skills needed to meet goals
- What you think is important may be different from what patients want to know
- Learner Factors
- Readiness to learn
- Motivation
- Stages of change
- Positive reinforcement
- Learning styles
- Visual
- Auditory
- Physical
- Readiness to learn
- Diagnosis
- Planning
- Setting goals
- Setting priorities
- Select teaching strategies based on 3 factors:
- Patient characteristics
- Learning style, educational background, culture, language skills, and nature of illness
- Subject matter
- Available resources
- Patient characteristics
- Learning needs
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- Teaching using discussion (“teach back”) and demonstration/return demonstration (“show back”) increases successful learning by the patient
Technology
- Help patients sift through information to decide if it is valid, reliable, and usable
