Impact of Patient Education on Health Care
Patient education is a process where health caregivers provide the necessary knowledge to their patients with information on how to deal with their illnesses. Patient education is practiced that is being practiced widely in modern medical practices. This education is imparted through different forums like one on one talk with patients, mass media, and informational posts on hospital walls and notice boards. This education to patients has helped to improve health practices worldwide. People’s health has improved as a result of patient education. In an interview held with a diabetic patient, it is evident that patient education plays a vital role in improving healthcare.
Benefits of Patient Education on Health Careopportunities
Patient education is vital in promoting disease self-management for chronic diseases. Through patient education, people suffering from chronic diseases are equipped with the necessary knowledge on how to manage their conditions (Adams, 2010). Information on eating habits and the right medication is necessary for helping the patient to manage their condition. In my interview, the patient reported having been given adequate information about the right eating conditions and how to administer insulin injections in their body when they need it. This information is necessary for the patient to manage her diabetes at home. Patient education is necessary for helping patients to manage chronic diseases at home.
Patient education is necessary for enhancing behavior changes among people. Many diseases can be prevented if people changed their behavior. Patient education helps people to learn the specific behaviors that result in specific disease spread and the recommended behavior pattern to avoid contracting diseases (Adams, 2010). The patient I interviewed revealed that the education she received from health experts helped her to adjust her eating behaviors. She reveals that her new eating behavior obtained from education has helped her to manage to control her sugar levels even without insulin injections. Patient education plays a vital role in helping patients to adjust their behavior in controlling diseases.
Patient education helps in eradicating diseases and bringing better outcomes. The argument is that patient education leads to patient compliance with the instructions offered by the doctors. Patients, through education, get to understand the doctor’s instructions. They get to know the consequences of not following the instructions—this compliance results in better outcomes of the disease. The interviewee’s patient has managed to control their diabetes. The patient can stay for an extended period without insulin injections. She attributes these outcomes to the education she received about how to manage diabetes. Patient education is vital in curing and managing diseases.
Patient education improves relationships between patients and health care providers. In the course of the education process, the patient and health caregivers interact, and they get to understand each other well. These relationships may create for follow up sessions out of the hospital through other forums like social media (Benetoli et al., 2018). The interviewee patient stated that she did not have anyone to help her at home. Her nurse at home offered to attend to her at home in case of emergencies. She even introduced her to other forums where she could get more information. Patient education is necessary for creating better relationships between health workers and patients.
Conclusion
Patient education is good for the health care system. The impacts of this education to healthcare are many. People get more knowledge on how to handle and stop the spread of diseases. Patient education also helps in curing diseases since it helps the patients to follow the doctor’s instructions. Good relations between health caregivers and patients are also created through patient education. This education is necessary, and it should be advocated for the benefits of the health sector.
References
Adams, R. J. (2010). Improving health outcomes with better patient understanding and education. Risk management and healthcare policy, 3, 61.
Benetoli, A., Chen, T. F., & Aslani, P. (2018). How patients’ use of social media impacts their interactions with healthcare professionals. Patient education and counseling, 101(3), 439-444.
Owen, L. (2014). Impacts of patient education on disease outcomes. [Blog post] Retrieved from