Educating Patients: Creating Teaching Moments in Practice
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Question 2: What are some strategies that can be used to help educate Mrs. Jones and her family? Commentary on question 2 : Mrs. Jones will initially benefit from individual education, with her sister included. Teach-back will be essential for Mrs. Jones, so information will be presented in small chunks and focused on the important pieces that she needs. Reading information out loud will benefit Mrs. Jones, who has an auditory learning style. The use of technology would not be a good fit for Mrs. Jones. The cancer clinic also has group education for new breast cancer patients, which may benefit Mrs. Jones in addition to individual teaching. As an auditory learner, group settings can also help with learning via discussions. Group education may also provide additional resources and support for Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones’s children and husband could participate in individual sessions or group education. Question 3: What important content should be covered with Mrs. Jones during the initial educational sessions? Commentary on question 3 : Mrs. Jones needs to know what is wrong. In her case, she needs a brief overview of her breast cancer, what stage two means, and what treatment op- tions are available. This requires information about what Mrs. Jones will need to do, and why she needs to do it. Mrs. Jones feels it is important to include complementary and alternative medicine in her treatment plan. She will need to know next steps for her treatments, and the benefits of management. During teach-back, among other questions, Mrs. Jones is asked, “What does stage two breast cancer mean to you?” and “What treatment options do you have?”. She responds, “I know that my cancer level means I won’t die right away. I have a chance to get better.” She also says, “I can have surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. I need more tests for my cancer first.” Mrs. Jones also says, “I saw a commercial for a chemotherapy drug that is a pill. I want that pill instead of an IV.” Question 4: What teaching moments are there for Mrs. Jones? Commentary on question 4 : It is important to clarify what Mrs. Jones means by “I can have surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.” The way this is stated is open to interpretation. Does she mean she will have only one of these options, or does she understand that she can have multiple treatments? The statement about a medication she saw on television is also a teaching moment. Mrs. Jones needs to have information about the fact that providers will determine the appropriate medications for her, which will likely be IV chemotherapy.
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