101 Educating Patients: Creating Teaching Moments in Practice
to patients after each brown bag review (AHRQ, 2020b). Group educational strategies Patient and family teaching can also be done in group settings. Patient class- es can cover content specific to proce - dures, disease processes, and self-care. Opportunities for learning arise when patients ask other questions. In addi- tion to the content presented, the group setting allows for social interaction and support. Reinforcement of key concepts may result from group classes, which are typically done with standardized didactic content. This type of learning may be es- pecially effective for patients who are au- ditory learners. Group education should not replace one-on-one teaching but can enhance it. Examples of successful group educational opportunities include con- tent addressing diabetes, ostomies, and orthopedic procedures such as total joint replacement (Kato & Siegmund, 2022; Marshall, 2020; Merakou et al., 2015). Use of technology The use of technology has increased exponentially, particularly since the turn of the century. Communication through technology has grown, incorporating the use of text messaging, social media, websites, virtual meetings, and others. Technology has enabled more people to be reached virtually by breaking down barriers of distance, time, and location. This creates new avenues for presenting patient education and utilizing technolo- gy that can be advantageous. Technolo- gy has been seen in healthcare through telehealth, mobile health (including mo- bile apps), health information (such as electronic records), and wearable de- vices. Technology can help patients be- come empowered and more active in their health, which can improve patient
| HEALTHCARE CONSIDERATION
Some examples of ways to ask for teach-back are: ● “I want to make sure I explained it correctly. Please tell me in your own words how you understand the plan we have to manage your pain.” ● “I want to be sure that I explained your medication right. Please tell me how you are going to take this medicine at home.” ● “As we discussed earlier, you will need to get up and walk so that you don’t get blood clots. Please tell me how many times a day you need to do this.” ● “We covered a lot of new information today, and I want to make sure that I explained things clearly. Please show me how you will use your incentive spirometer.” Another strategy for individualized ed- ucation is using a “brown bag” medica- tion review. These sessions are generally open to any patients who would like to participate. The brown bag review is usu- ally seen in ambulatory settings but can also occur with inpatients. Patients bring in their medications from home to review with a healthcare professional, which can assist in identifying misunderstandings and errors with medications. During the review, the healthcare professional will have the patient hold each medication bottle and answer questions. The ques- tions to be asked should include “What do you take this medicine for?” “When do you take this medicine?” and “Show me how you take this medicine.” The re- view can also assist with medication rec- onciliation, which is often incorrect. An updated medication list is to be given
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