Health Care and Nursing and Areas of Patient Education

Areas of Patient Education

    Patient education is increasingly differentiated by goal and by
population group. Preparation for self management of chronic disease is the
most clearly differentiated, requiring the patient to develop
significant clinical judgment and confidence. 

    Though educational models exist
for many common chronic diseases (diabetes, asthma, arthritis), mental illness
has lagged, presumably based on the assumption that disturbed
thought patterns would preclude learning self-management skills. 

    A second area
is education to assist with event management a diagnostic test, surgical or
obstetrical intervention, and hospitalization. 

    A third area is the screening
and monitoring function, for everyday symptoms and for breast, testicular, or
skin self-examinations. 

    A fourth area is care giving of others. A fifth is newly
emerging-helping patients and families understand the basis for ethical
decisions such as brain death, futility, randomization in research studies, or
informed consent to participate. 

    In all of these areas, the
goal of patient education is development of patient competence, confidence, and
self trust in their ability to carry out health behaviors consistent with their
life plan.

Specific Population With Special Needs In Health Care and Nursing Education

1:Those whose limited health literacy keeps them from being able
to carry out ordinary health actions including taking medicine as directed.

2:Those whose health problems have a strong genetic base, who
must understand the partial technologies of genetic testing in order to make
good decisions.

3:Those whose cultural beliefs vary from assumptions of Western
medicine.

4:Those with memory loss or thought disorders, who need special
help to learn.

5:Those who have been oppressed by other individuals, groups, or
society so that they do not trust their ability to make decisions.

6:Others such as children.

    Some of these areas of patient education and special patient needs
have long been recognized, and there is little new in the approach to them.
Direction about how to deal with them may be found in standard texts in the
field. Sections of this book document advances believed by the author to be on
the cutting edge of new developments in patient education.