The most effective way to encourage patient activation is to ensure that they are well-informed about their treatment. Patients who are better informed about their health are more likely to adopt self-management strategies, attend follow-up appointments, and challenge their doctors about their treatment. Education, on the other hand, implies something distinct to each patient. Some patients will respond well to instructional techniques, while others will require more encouragement from their doctors. Before distributing patient education materials, clinicians must go through a number of procedures to ensure that the techniques used are appropriate for the specific patient.
Ensuring that patients are well-informed about their therapy is the most effective method to increase patient activation. Patients who are more knowledgeable about their health are more likely to use self-management techniques, attend follow-up appointments, and question their doctors’ treatment decisions. On the other hand, education means something different to each sufferer. Some patients will benefit from instructional approaches, while others will need more support from their physicians. Clinicians must go through a series of processes before delivering patient education materials to verify that the approaches employed are appropriate for the individual patient.
The physician first explains an essential idea, procedure, or self-management approach to the patient during patient teach-back. The patient is then asked to repeat the lesson in his or her own words by the doctor. Patients who are asked to synthesis health knowledge and regurgitate it in their own words will reveal whether or not they actually understand it. If the patients are unable to do so, physicians might devise innovative methods to guarantee that the patients comprehend the information.
Clinicians may utilize a variety of methods to improve patient education, ranging from digital technology to paper handouts. Clinicians must collaborate with patients to identify which tools suit both patient preferences in order to guarantee that they are the most successful. Patient education materials include, but are not limited to, the following, according to MedlinePlus, a health information resource from the National Institute of Health and the National Library of Medicine:
Brochures, pamphlets, and other printed items
Podcasts
Demonstrations
Analogies
Presentations on PowerPoint
Graphs or posters
Peer educators who have been trained
Videos on YouTube
Props or models
Classes in a group
One-on-one instruction
Graphics
Because not all technologies are appropriate for all patients, it is critical for physicians to involve patients in educational dialogues and assess patient preferences. Clinicians and patients should think about how patients learn best and what is most practical to include in their daily lives. Clinicians should also consider what the patient needs to know (rather than what would be great to know), what is essential to the patient, and what the patient already knows. According to MedlinePlus, this will prevent repeated information and information overload.
Patients benefit from health information technology because it makes it easier for them to discover and save instructional resources. In the case of patient portals, technology makes it easier for patients to obtain health information by eliminating the need for them to contact hospital health information management departments. Patient portals allow patients to access their test results, medical histories, and a variety of other health information via an online interface. Doctors that adopt OpenNotes, a practice philosophy in which clinicians share their appointment notes digitally with patients, may provide in-depth and customized health advise to their patients at every office visit. According to studies, people forget up to 80% of what their doctors say during consultations. OpenNotes can help patients remember this information, improving their understanding of their own health. Patients who read, interpret, and review their own health information through the patient portal are better equipped to engage in their health and notify their physicians about potential treatment concerns, according to research. According to OpenNotes research released at the end of 2016, 57 percent of patient concerns about medical records led to real record improvements, thereby enhancing patient safety and health outcomes. Where appropriate, healthcare practitioners can use mHealth technologies. These tools include everything from traditional educational tools to more interactive applications. Where appropriate, healthcare practitioners can use mHealth technologies. These tools include everything from traditional educational tools to more interactive applications.mHealth applications use high engagement to educate patients about their own health issues and frequently lead them through self-management strategies. Clinicians must consider patient health literacy as well as the efficacy of certain applications. Apps are useless when they lack vital information or are above a patient’s reading level. Choosing a patient education method will, in the end, be determined by the patient. Techniques must take into account not just a patient’s degree of health literacy, but also her preferences and specific requirements. Education techniques that fall short of this will very certainly be ineffective. Clinicians must first engage their patients in order to find the most effective patient education strategy. Doctors and patients may use collaborative decision-making to identify which tools will be most successful in promoting patient education and, ultimately, improving outcomes.
Webcast: Strategies for Integrating Telemedicine into a Radiology Program
As long as the integration is correctly managed, telemedicine offers numerous potential to improve both processes and outcomes in radiology programs. It can allow professionals to work from home and expand their reach into underserved areas, all while establishing a platform that seamlessly blends cloud-based and in-person services. On the other hand, if not adequately planned and managed, it can squander resources and diminish the efficacy of a program.
