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Among the many things healthcare workers are expected to do is to educate their patients. This is meant to help the clients understand their conditions better so that they can remain compliant to prescribed medications and other instructions. Patient education handouts are one of the most effective ways of doing this. There are a number of things that you need to know as you prepare this type of material.
You should start by conducting research that will help you understand your clients better. Data can be collected by engaging them in face to face interviews or having them fill questionnaires. Important information that you should collect includes their ages, their social status and the medical conditions that affect them. Let them express their main concerns regarding these conditions. The information that is obtained from this exercise can be used to place them into smaller homogeneous categories.
The next thing is to create the text that will go onto the handout. This is, without a doubt, the most important part of this entire project as it carries the message you want conveyed. Choose your words carefully and create short concise sentences that are devoid of convoluted explanations. Different formats may be taken in presenting the text but the question and answer approach appears to have the greatest impact.
Adopt a professional tone in your writing and if you plan to include discussions in the material on various topics, do not be biased. Present all the views that exist and let the reader make their own decision. You may include advantages and disadvantages for each of the options presented so that they find it a bit easier to decide.
Always remember that handouts are about the patient-not you. The recommendation is that at least 80% of the content be dedicated to information related to the disease or medical condition. You can use the remaining 20% to tell the clients about what your facility can do to intervene in the progression of the said illness. As you will come to realize, if useful information is provided freely, you will retain most of your clients and even get more in referrals.
Make sure that the materials that you choose are durable since some patients may want to refer to them from time to time. This is especially useful for persons that are being treated for chronic or recurrent illnesses. Better still, get a bit more creative and turn them into everyday items such as bookmarks and calendars (on one of the pages).
The text should be more about the client and not you, the facility. The recommendation is that at least 80% should be related to issues of health promotion. You can use the remaining 20% to inform the readers about the services that are available in your facility. You will be surprised that the retention rate of pre-existing clients and referrals of new clients will both increase.
The most effective way of getting cooperation of patients is through education. A better understanding of any condition greatly helps in its management. Of the many ways that exist, written literature that is given out as handouts is one of the most effective. If done professionally, these materials are the most economical method.
You should start by conducting research that will help you understand your clients better. Data can be collected by engaging them in face to face interviews or having them fill questionnaires. Important information that you should collect includes their ages, their social status and the medical conditions that affect them. Let them express their main concerns regarding these conditions. The information that is obtained from this exercise can be used to place them into smaller homogeneous categories.
The next thing is to create the text that will go onto the handout. This is, without a doubt, the most important part of this entire project as it carries the message you want conveyed. Choose your words carefully and create short concise sentences that are devoid of convoluted explanations. Different formats may be taken in presenting the text but the question and answer approach appears to have the greatest impact.
Adopt a professional tone in your writing and if you plan to include discussions in the material on various topics, do not be biased. Present all the views that exist and let the reader make their own decision. You may include advantages and disadvantages for each of the options presented so that they find it a bit easier to decide.
Always remember that handouts are about the patient-not you. The recommendation is that at least 80% of the content be dedicated to information related to the disease or medical condition. You can use the remaining 20% to tell the clients about what your facility can do to intervene in the progression of the said illness. As you will come to realize, if useful information is provided freely, you will retain most of your clients and even get more in referrals.
Make sure that the materials that you choose are durable since some patients may want to refer to them from time to time. This is especially useful for persons that are being treated for chronic or recurrent illnesses. Better still, get a bit more creative and turn them into everyday items such as bookmarks and calendars (on one of the pages).
The text should be more about the client and not you, the facility. The recommendation is that at least 80% should be related to issues of health promotion. You can use the remaining 20% to inform the readers about the services that are available in your facility. You will be surprised that the retention rate of pre-existing clients and referrals of new clients will both increase.
The most effective way of getting cooperation of patients is through education. A better understanding of any condition greatly helps in its management. Of the many ways that exist, written literature that is given out as handouts is one of the most effective. If done professionally, these materials are the most economical method.
About the Author:
If you would like to provide patient education handouts to your patients or customers, come to Vivacare. Let us show you how to create your own personalized health library when you visit us online at http://www.vivacare.com today.
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