Good teaching techniques to improve communication
Clear language is vital to good health outcomes
Clear communication is important if the expected health outcomes are to be achieved. "Effective communication is a cornerstone of patient safety" states the Oakbrook Terrace, IL, based Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in a new public policy white paper titled, "What Did the Doctor Say? Improving Health Literacy to Protect Patient Safety."
There are many ways to improve communication between patients and health care practitioners. Patient education managers become experts on this topic and can lead their health care facility in establishing policy on improving teaching outcomes through better communication.
A common mistake many health care practitioners make is to jump into teaching before doing a proper assessment, says Fran London, MS, RN, a health education specialist at The Emily Center at Phoenix (AZ) Children's Hospital.
"Teaching is most efficient and effective when individualized to the learner's understanding and needs. Taking the time to ask questions and listen to the answers really saves teaching time," says London.
Asking patients to explain what their understanding is of the diagnosis and treatment helps clarify educational needs and the teaching can be modified to incorporate what learning needs are uncovered during assessment.
An adequate assessment that helps the educator determine what a patient knows, what they want to know and how they want to learn the information is vital, agrees Sandra Cornett, PhD, RN, director of the OSU/AHEC Health Literacy Program at The Ohio State University in Columbus.
Listening is a key component of good patient education, says Cezanne Garcia, MPH, CHES, associate director of Patient & Family Centered Care and Education Services at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. "Authentically engage and remember details that recognize the patient or family member as people first, not as patients only," says Garcia.
The only way to communicate with a patient in a way he or she will understand is to listen, says London.
Health care practitioners need to figure out how a patient will understand information by asking questions and listening to the answers. They need to adapt their explanation to fit the needs of the patient.
Delivering too much information in too little time can prevent people from learning, says Cornett. It's best to focus on a few key points and allow time for repetition. Eliminate all the extraneous "nice to know" health information and provide time for patients to ask questions so they can clarify points, advises Cornett.
The American Medical Association suggests that health care practitioners answer three questions when teaching patients that include: "What's wrong with me?" What do I need to do about it?" "Why?"
Kathy Ordelt, RN-CPN, CRRN, patient and family education coordinator at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, says the answers to these three questions are a great place to start.
When providing skills training break it down into organized, manageable segments and use "show me" techniques to evaluate the learning, she adds.
Handouts need to be easy to read, this is accomplished by writing at a middle school reading level, using simple illustrations and photos with the text, says Ordelt.
Create an environment that is conducive for good communication, says Cornett. This would include sitting down, privacy, encouraging questions, using lay language, slowing down, rephrasing the information, and verifying the patient's understanding.
Sources
For additional information on ways to improve communication with patients who have low health literacy, contact:
- Sandra Cornett, PhD, RN, Director, OSU/AHEC Health Literacy Program, Office of Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, 218 Meiling Hall, 370 West 9th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210-1238. Phone: (614) 292-0716. E-mail: [email protected].
- Cezanne Garcia, MPH, CHES, Associate Director, Patient & Family Centered Care and Education Services, University of Washington Medical Center,1959 N.E. Pacific St., Box 356052, Seattle, WA 98195-6052. Phone: (206) 598-8424. E-mail: [email protected].
- Fran London, MS, RN, Health Education Specialist, The Emily Center, Phoenix Children's Hospital, 1919 East Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016-7710. Phone: (602) 546-1408. E-mail: [email protected].
- Kathy Ordelt, RN-CPN, CRRN, Patient and Family Education Coordinator, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1600 Tullie Circle, Atlanta, GA 30329. Phone: (404) 785-7839. Fax: (404) 785-7017. E-mail: [email protected].
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