Patient Assessment
To develop an educational plan for a patient, assessing his current knowledge and factors influencing training is necessary. The patient considered in this case study is a 38-year-old African American with a high school education. His age imposes certain restrictions on the educational process since he is a mature individual with his own views and opinions. Therefore, if medical requirements go against the usual order of things for the patient, the doctor’s recommendations may encounter resistance. These psychological factors must be taken into account when forming an educational plan.
At the moment, the man demonstrates low health literacy, expressed in non-compliance with past requirements for taking blood pressure medication and the presence of significant bad habits. Considering the fact that a man has only a high school education, the low level of medical education and the lack of knowledge about the physiology of the human body is apparent. Consequently, the patient has gaps in knowledge regarding his diseases, their dangers, and the reasons for the need to follow the doctor’s recommendations.
Development of an Educational Plan
In line with the knowledge gaps identified, several elements need to be emphasized in patient education. First of all, this plan should be created following developed standards for greater effectiveness, such as The Patient Education Practice Guidelines for Health Care Professionals (“Patient education practice guidelines,” 2020). Developed by the Health Care Education Association, they are clear guidelines divided into sequential steps. This structure makes it possible to effectively create an educational plan for all types of patients and their caregivers.
The first element in developing a plan is setting general goals and checking the current knowledge level. According to the assessment, the patient demonstrates a deficient level of knowledge regarding his existing problems. Therefore, it is essential to clarify what constitutes hypertension as a disease. Secondly, there is a need to convey to the patient the importance of complying with medical prescriptions he previously ignored. At the moment, he has been prescribed three drugs designed to combat existing hypertension. Since the patient ended up in the critical care unit precisely because of prescription non-compliance, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of taking prescribed drugs in a stated manner.
Implementation
Environmental considerations must be taken into account to communicate this information to the patient most effectively. It is helpful to use the patient’s characteristics, such as his profession, field of activity, and living conditions. From the data provided, it is worth paying attention to the circumstances of the patient’s father’s death, whether he took medication and followed the doctor’s recommendations, and his mother’s condition.
When implementing a training plan, the specialist should consider the lack of education of the patient and, as a result, possible difficulties with the assimilation of information. Therefore, general guidelines and precautions should be used to ensure that the learning material is fully understood (Wittink & Oosterhaven, 2018). It is vital to avoid using complex medical terms, break down information into small portions, and make sure that they are understandable to the patient. In addition, possible language and cultural barriers should be taken into account since they can make it difficult to perceive information (Morris, 2022). An effective strategy is the reverse learning method, which allows a professional to consolidate the learned material and ensure that the patient has fully assimilated it (Morris, 2022). Finally, written reminders at the six-grade level need to be created to enable the patient to access the information even in an emergency (Wittink & Oosterhaven, 2018). Their composition should be confirmed with the patient to ensure they are understandable.
Evaluation
Successful patient education can be confirmed and evaluated in several ways. First of all, the very principle of the proposed teach-back method involves the repetition by the patient of the learned information (Morris, 2022). In this way, the specialist can make sure that he has understood the medical prescriptions correctly. In addition, a visual way to assess knowledge is to demonstrate the acquired skills, such as showing the required dosage of medicines. Another option is to use various questionnaires to be completed at the end of the training. The use of tests or questionnaires may provide general information regarding the current patient education. The last option is to schedule a visit to a specialist after some time has passed (“Patient education practice guidelines,” 2020). This will allow them to question the patient, further assess his education level, and provide an opportunity to conduct laboratory tests. Such measures, for example, can demonstrate the concentration of drugs in the blood. Based on this information, it will be possible to conclude the correct or incorrect use of medications.
Documentation
For the educational and medical process to meet all the requirements of regulatory agencies, it is essential to document ongoing patient education fully. Such documentation will avoid repeated or duplicate training since records of already conducted educational courses will be kept. Secondly, this will ensure that all the necessary measures and mandatory information are conveyed. A situation may arise where the patient will again end up in a critical care unit due to prescription non-compliance. In this case, a fixed documentary educational plan will help avoid potential claims from the patient or his relatives about allegedly missing knowledge. Otherwise, if the medical institution does not adequately explain to the patient the crucial information, the patient can file a lawsuit in court and win the case. Thus, claims for payment of compensation will be formed, which can reach significant amounts. Therefore, fully completed documentation avoids repeated unnecessary training, adheres to all established procedures, and protects the organization and employees from unfair claims.
References
Morris, G. (2022). 10 ways nurses and nurse leaders can improve patient education. NurseJournal.
Patient education practice guidelines for health care professionals. (2020). Health Care Education Association.
Wittink, H., & Oosterhaven, J. (2018). Patient education and health literacy. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 38, 120-127.