Negotiation plays a crucial role in patient education as it helps to establish trust, understanding, and collaboration between healthcare providers and patients. In the process of negotiation, both parties work together to find mutually beneficial solutions to meet their needs and achieve shared goals. Therefore, it is crucial to employ negotiation in patient education so that the consumers of healthcare services feel providers’ support and willingness to pursue a patient-centered approach. This method is more useful than traditional insistence on treatment approaches without asking about patients’ preferences or beliefs.
In patient education, negotiation is essential for addressing the patient’s needs and preferences. Patients have unique health literacy levels, learning styles, and prior knowledge about their health conditions. These factors influence the type of information and teaching methods that are most effective for them (Wittink & Oosterhaven, 2018). By negotiating with the patient, healthcare providers can choose an education plan that will meet the patient’s individual needs. As a result, they will enhance patient understanding, engagement, and satisfaction.
Negotiating with patients can also improve patient adherence to treatment plans. Patients who are engaged in the decision-making process are more likely to follow through with recommended treatments and lifestyle changes (Halabi et al., 2020). By negotiating with patients, healthcare providers can understand their concerns, fears, and motivations and work with them to create a treatment plan that takes these factors into account. This can reinforce successful overall outcomes and improve patient well-being.
In conclusion, negotiation plays a critical role in patient education by helping to establish trust, understanding, and collaboration between healthcare providers and patients. By negotiating with consumers, healthcare staff can tailor the education to meet the patient’s individual needs, increase the likelihood of patients following the treatment plans, and boost the chances of successful outcomes. Therefore, not only patient education but also negotiation during the educational process is crucial for positive results.
References
Halabi, I. O., Scholtes, B., Voz, B., Gillain, N., Durieux, N., Odero, A., Baumann, M., Ziegler, O., Gagnayre, R., Guillaume, M., Bragard, I.,& Pétré, B. (2020). “Patient participation” and related concepts: A scoping review on their dimensional composition. Patient Education and Counseling, 103(1),5-14. Web.
Wittink, H., & Oosterhaven, J. (2018). Patient education and health literacy. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 38, 120-127. Web.