Give detailed instructions on new technology
One-on-one teaching ensures proper use
Although computer-aided distribution of patient education materials streamlines the education process, staff don't always embrace new technology. That's because many health care workers don't have good computer skills, says Belle Koester, MPH, RN, assistant director of patient education at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
To implement the electronically transmitted pathway called Cancer Manager, created in-house, the patient education department worked with the practice outcomes program department to create a training method. They selected a nurse to do the computer training who would work as a liaison between staff on the floor and the departments implementing the electronic pathway, which consisted of clinical and patient education components.
When Cancer Manager was implemented, the liaison nurse completed a workflow study of the area. This helped to determine where the hardware should be placed.
"We wanted equipment to be easily accessible, but we didn't want it to disturb other activities," says Koester.
Once the hardware was in place, the nurse trained staff one-on-one.
"We have found that one-on-one training works better than group training because staff who haven't had much computer experience need hands-on training," explains Koester.
The liaison tries to identify staff who learn quickly, so they can help their co-workers later on if problems should arise.
To improve patient education within clinics, the Southern California Permanente Medical Group in Pasadena put a computer on all 3,000 physicians' desks. Also, patient education material was made available via the HMO's internal network, the Intranet.
The system, called Health Ed Link, was designed to reinforce and embellish the education patients received from their physician at the point of service, which was often very brief. With everything in place, the job is to help physicians integrate a computer into the treatment plan, says Emilie Sparks, MS, CHES, publication supervisor at Southern California Permanente Medical Group.
To reach as many physicians as possible, staff from the Health Education and Health Promotion Department attend the conferences and symposiums the HMO holds for its physicians.
"We have a display setup where we can demonstrate Health Ed Link on a computer," says Sparks. They also have cards available that explain how to access patient education on the computer. They give the cards to the physicians to pass out to their colleagues who didn't attend the symposium. Articles on Health Ed Link also have been published in company newsletters.
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