Educating Patients: Creating Teaching Moments in Practice
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outcomes (Kuwabara et al., 2020; Rozen- blum & Bates, 2017). EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE More and more people are using the Internt to find health-related informa - tion. One study showed that 71% of patients search for health information online (Stankova et al., 2020). Another study demonstrated that 69% of pa- tients used the Internet as their first source for health information (Swobo- da et al., 2018). Addressing language differences Patients who are not primarily English speaking, including those who use sign language, may not get the information and education that they need. Language assistance is required for verbal commu- nication. Approved language assistance services in healthcare include profes- sionals with confirmed proficiency and trained medical interpreters, who can be involved in person or via telephone or video. Using individuals to interpret who have not been trained as medical inter- preters has not been approved for lan- guage assistance, as there may be errors with accurate translations, bias, and priva- cy (AHRQ, 2020b). Cultural competency A culture incorporates many factors, including ethnicity, nationality, customs, sexual orientation and identity, socioeco- nomic status, religion, values, and beliefs. Culture can influence health, including self-care and decision making. There are many examples of the influence of cul - ture on healthcare and patient education. Some cultures believe that discussing a possible poor outcome may cause it to
happen. Other cultures vary in who makes decisions for health based on gender or position in the family. Dietary, interper- sonal, and religious beliefs and customs can also affect actions related to health and healthcare (AHRQ, 2020b). Cultural competence within healthcare is the ability of healthcare professionals to incorporate factors associated with culture into providing patient care. It is important for healthcare professionals to have a basic understanding of many cul- tures, but to also ask questions of their patients. Assuming how patients want to be communicated with or what they need for healthcare can be detrimental. Respectfully asking question ensures that the patient’s wishes are clear. Examples of questions include “How would you like me to address you?” “What should I know about you and any cultural beliefs that will help me care for you?” “What do you call your illness?” and “What do you think caused your illness?” (AHRQ, 2020b; Bass & Nagy, 2022; Schouten et al., 2020). De-escalating confrontations There are times in healthcare when emotions run high for patients and fam- ilies. Even with effective communication and education, illness and other concerns can create a personal crisis. Distress, an- ger, grief, confusion, and other emotions can cause escalating reactions, which may be intensified with physical and behav - ioral illness. De-escalation is described as a combination of communication, as- sessment, actions, and self-regulation to reduce agitation or aggression, while improving interpersonal relationships (Hallett & Dickens, 2017). When confron - tations or behaviors become aggressive,
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