Patient Education

Patient Education
Name:
Institution:
Course Title:
Instructor:
Date:
Patient Education
Introduction
Interacting with the patient in a friendly and understanding manner is crucial in hastening the healing and recovery process. Education providers such as physicians, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, and health trainers, pass on useful information to their patients, which are meant to help them change their health behaviors and improve the quality of living. According to Flavo (2010), effective patient teaching assists patients in making well-versed choices and also offers assistance hence giving them a chance to attain ideal health condition. While in many countries, patient education is a patient’s right, it is often perceived as a healthcare provider’s responsibility. A number of health professionals are, therefore, expected and encouraged to involve their patients in decision-making process. This approach recognizes that the patients are experts on their own health and have preferences for treatment, health status, and outcomes of therapies and treatments (Coulter, Parsons, & Askham, 2008). This paper takes a critical examination of the influence patient education has in healthcare using experiences of an elderly patient.
Interview
Me: Good evening and welcome. You are probably aware of patient education and its impact on health care?
Patient: Yes I am. I have once been briefed by my personal doctor about it. He told me that patients play an important role in decision-making process. I fully coincide with him because such participations have significantly improved my satisfaction on care delivery and, importantly, my overall health.
Me: Did your patient education representative give you instructions on how to care for yourself after your illness?
Patient: Yes, he told me to stop smoking and minimize my sugar intake. He also told me to take regular physical exercise to help me regain strength after my ope...