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Patient Education




Stephanie Weaver




Interpersonal Communication
Claudia Mestdgah
Kaplan University
May 20, 2008








Patient education is the manner by which health professionals and others communicate information to patients that will modify their health behaviors or advance their health status. Education providers may include physicians, nurses, psychologists, CMA (certified medical assistances), and pharmaceutical companies. Patient education is also a tool utilized by managed care plans, and may contain both general preventive education or health promotion and disease or condition specific education.
Patients come from a different social and educational background, so when educating them on medical subjects this needs to be carefully modified to their abilities of their understanding (Educating Patients about Their Medications). If a patient does not get sufficient information from his/ hers doctor, h/she will probably turn to friends and relatives, and other unreliable sources which may mislead them giving advice about conditions from which h/she does not suffer (Effective Communication). Patients are beginning to understand that medical data is not the exclusive property of health care professionals. They are better informed because of education and they want to know more and have their questions answered [Bell, 1986]. In the USA, patient education is becoming a mandatory part of health care professional training programs and the government is using it to reduce the burden on health care resources [Bell, 1986]. A basic health education is needed so patients can achieve an optimum level of health and it is negligent to assume that patients learn on their own. Poor understanding leads to poor co-operation with treatment regimens. Education is seen as an effective way of helping patients to...