The purposes of patient education
Patient education is as any set of planned educational activities designed
to improve patients’ health behaviors and health status. Its main purpose is to
maintain or to improve patient health or, in some cases, to slow deterioration.
However, patient and family education goes beyond this main purpose. An
informed and educated patient can actively participate in his or her own
treatment, improve outcomes, help identify errors before they occur, and reduce
his or her length of stay.
The benefits of patient
education include:
1)
Increasing the patient's ability to cope
with and manage his or her health
2)
Facilitating understandings of health
statuses, diagnosis and treatment options, and consequences of care for
patients and their families
3)
Empowering patients to make decisions
related to their care
4)
Increasing patients’ potential to follow a
health care plan
5)
Helping patients learn healthier behaviors
6)
Promoting recovery and improved function
7)
Increasing patient confidence in his or
her self care
8)
Decreasing treatment complications
Organizations that
provide targeted and appropriate patient and family education can reap other
benefits as well, including:
Increased customer satisfaction Compliance with regulatory standards Improved efficiency through cost-effective care Better informed patients and a lessened chance for malpractice claims
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