Using support groups in the continuum of patient education
Members learn from experts and one another
Support groups are a way of providing continuing education, according to health care professionals who facilitate groups with an educational format.
At Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus, OH, the diabetes support group is promoted to people who enroll in the diabetes classes when first diagnosed as a way to continue learning about the chronic disease once they finish their basic education.
"I explain to patients that the classes are just a start. They need to continue learning about diabetes, whether it is through the support group or another way," says Julie Hitch, RN, BSN, CDE, an educator in diabetes self-management education at Mount Carmel and facilitator of the support group.
Hitch adds that the treatments for the disease and the modalities used to live with it are changing all the time. With the way she conducts the support group, people attending have an opportunity to be updated on new products, medication, and information. The patient's physician may not have all the latest information if he or she is not a specialist in diabetes, says Hitch.
A topic is offered each month and presented by an expert in that area, or Hitch provides the education. There is always a lot of time left for questions. Also, the group has time to discuss issues among themselves.
People newly diagnosed are encouraged to find others who have managed diabetes for a long time, and it gives them hope, says Hitch. During group time, they bounce ideas off each other, so often the newly diagnosed will learn a lot from the knowledge people who have had diabetes for a while have gained in areas such as eating healthy in a restaurant or traveling with diabetes.
A support group designed for ovarian cancer survivors at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston gives people who attend access to experts. People in the group listen to a presentation and ask questions of people they normally would not have easy access to, says Mary A. Fitzgerald, MA, a co-facilitator of the group and research manager for the Department of Behavioral Science.
"Women and their family members don't interact a lot in the meeting itself, but hearing other people's questions is often very helpful," says Fitzgerald.
Originally, the group allowed time for the ovarian cancer survivors to meet in one room and their family members to meet in another following the presentation, so they could discuss various issues. However, feedback from the group indicated they wanted information, so Fitzgerald and her colleague, Alycia Hughes, LMSW, adopted an educated forum.
Topic titles have included: "Coping with Fear of Recurrence," "Making the Most of Your Doctor's Appointment," "Can Foods Heal?", "Emerging Therapies for Ovarian Cancer," "Spirituality and Cancer," "The Effect of Stress on Cancer," "Legal Issues Affecting Cancer Patients," and "Acupuncture Treatment for Cancer Patients."
"The reason our group exists is because patients are hungry for information. They want information about their disease, aspects of treatment, how to deal with the financial or legal aspects of cancer, and about their spirituality. There are a lot of things patients want to know, and they don't want to just read about it," explains Fitzgerald.
The best way to provide education may depend upon the type of diagnosis of those attending the group. The Head and Neck Cancer Support Group at James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, OH, has formal presenters, but those attending find that sharing information about how to get through the treatment, various issues pertaining to it, and the phases of survivorship are invaluable, says Cheryl A. Huang, MS, RN, AOCN, a clinical nurse specialist and group co-facilitator.
Huang says the Head and Neck Cancer Support Group is one of the largest at the cancer hospital, and many have attended since the beginning. These cancer survivors are probably one of the most challenging groups of people, because they have tremendous needs, she explains. Treatment often impacts their physical appearance, their ability to communicate, and their ability to eat and swallow. All have quality of life issues, says Huang.
Regaining quality of life
Learning how to live with a disease is part of the education process. Support groups can help people learn how to get back that quality of life they often feel they have lost, says Huang. One year, in addition to querying the group about their educational needs, the facilitators asked what else the group members would like to do. The answer was to educate medical staff on what it is like to be a head and neck cancer survivor.
Eventually, members of the group presented to resident physicians discussing what it was like being diagnosed, going through the treatment, and what their present challenges were. Their hope was that the residents would be able to better prepare patients for the implications of head and neck cancer surgery, says Huang. Group members also have done a nursing grand rounds presentation and addressed dentists at a convention.
"One of the presenters has now done several presentations and gone from a person who was angry and depressed to an advocate for cancer survivorship and patients in the health care arena," says Huang.
The group also wanted to reach head and neck cancer patients who did not have a local support group, so the facilitators put together a half-day conference funded with grant money. Head and neck cancer survivors across the state of Ohio were invited to the conference to hear presentations by a physician who treats patients with this cancer, a speech and swallowing therapist, two social workers who discussed coping and resources, a presentation by a dentist on oral care, and a nutritionist who discussed the importance of good nutrition.
Continuing education is important for head and neck cancer survivors, says Huang, and a support group is a good forum for teaching. Once treated, these patients are on their own and often do not know how to successfully continue with their life. Support groups provide an opportunity for people to get the answers to the questions they have. When Huang doesn't have an answer, she gets the information. An added plus is that the information people get is correct.
In the diabetes support group at Mount Carmel, members will suggest speakers they think have valuable information to share with the group. Hitch will invite them to speak after she has talked with them to determine what their knowledge is on the topic. Also, she discusses what the speaker will share with the group if she is not personally familiar with him or her.
Group members also will bring information to meetings but again, it must be approved by Hitch before it can be shared by the group. The support group is a great place to learn about educational opportunities throughout the community, such as cooking classes for people with diabetes, she adds.
Because support groups provide a place for people to meet others with the same disease who are going through the same situations, they provide an opportunity to share good ideas and develop relationships with people, says Hitch.
In addition, they give people access to experts and information, says Fitzgerald.
SOURCES
To learn more about using support groups for continuing education, contact:
Mary A. Fitzgerald, MA, Research Manager, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Behavioral Science-Unit 1330, P.O. Box 301439, Houston, TX 77230-1439. Telephone: (713) 563-4552. E-mail: [email protected].
Julie Hitch, RN, BSN, CDE, Diabetes Educator, Mount Carmel East Hospital, Diabetes Self-Management Education, 6001 East Broad St., Columbus, OH 43213. Telephone: (614) 234-7114. E-mail: [email protected].
Cheryl A. Huang, MS, RN, AOCN, Clinical Nurse Specialist, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Ambulatory Services, 660 Ackerman Rd. 5-80, Columbus, OH 43202. Telephone: (614) 293-3217. E-mail: [email protected].
Support groups are a way of providing continuing education, according to health care professionals who facilitate groups with an educational format.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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