Today, much attention is paid to the worth of patient education and its impact on health care. Many researchers indicate the benefits in the fields of physiotherapy, postoperative care, and pharmaceutical services. During the late 1960s, healthcare practitioners recognized the need for patients to be fully informed about their condition and potential contributions to their positive health outcomes (Wittink & Oosterhaven, 2018).
With time, this idea became an integral point in providing and improving care. Interviews with people about their experiences with the health care system introduce one of the common methods to clarify the influence of patient education. In this paper, the results of communication with a friend will be presented to explain the urgency of clear instructions, recommendations, assistance, and services as a part of patient education in health care.
Instructions
The improvement of health outcomes in patients through education is one of the most expected outcomes, which depends on how well patients are educated by healthcare practitioners. The interview shows that a good start of education should begin with clear instructions and explanations. Teaching physician interactions with patients have to be enthusiastic and motivated to make sure a person realizes all possible benefits (Paterick, Patel, Tajik, & Chandrasekaran, 2017). As soon as a patient is interested in the necessity to be health literate, positive examples can be observed. A guide on how to search, understand, and use health information is an obligatory point in education.
Recommendations
Communication with a person whose experience in education was successful also helps recognize the worth of counseling and necessary pieces of advice about diet, medication, and physical exercises. Paterick et al. (2017) believe that physical activities and diet result in reducing the risks of heart diseases, hypertension, and diabetes. It is not enough to have a list of drugs that must be used to treat a disease or avoid complications. Patient education is an opportunity to gain a good understanding of what people can do to improve their health. The involvement of healthcare professionals is a strong stimulus to learn more.
Assistance
Many people believe that the worst period is over when they come back home after illnesses or surgeries. They get clear instructions and medication to stabilize their condition. However, in many cases, patients are not aware of what steps to be taken next. Therefore, Wittink and Oosterhaven (2018) underline that such questions like “How are you going to do something at home?” or “Could you please repeat the just mentioned information?” cannot be ignored. This way of communication aims to clarify if a patient has enough assistance at home and understands the required care. The discussion of assistance at home is a vital part of patient education in health care.
Services
Finally, the interview with a person who uses healthcare services indicates the need for assistance services like food, transportation, or medication. When a person gets older, it becomes difficult to follow all prescriptions and recommendations. In addition, some of them lack important health information and services (Wittink & Oosterhaven, 2018). Therefore, patient education includes the discussion of local specialized organizations that support social well-being and offer services.
Conclusion
In general, patient education plays a crucial role in health care and social well-being. Sometimes, adult patients do not find it necessary to ask for help or recognize their need for additional recommendations and assistance. Education initiated by healthcare providers is another step to support people and improve their health. Diets, medications, physical exercises, and regular counseling in terms of patient education are the steps to predict complications and avoid health risks.
References
Paterick, T. E., Patel, N., Tajik, A. J., & Chandrasekaran, K. (2017). Improving health outcomes through patient education and partnerships with patients. Proceedings: Baylor University Medical Center, 30(1), 112-113.
Wittink, H., & Oosterhaven, J. (2018). Patient education and health literacy. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 38, 120-127. Web.