Excellence in Patient Education: Evidence-Based Education that "Sticks" and Improves Patient Outcomes.

The patient education process has 4 equal components to be addressed by the nurse: assessment, planning, implement, and evaluation. Excellent patient education is an "art" and "science" using nuances and evidence-based strategies to effectively educate. The assessment and evaluation components often use nuanced approaches (motivational interviewing, teach back) to engage the patient/caregiver respectfully, whereas planning and implementation rely more on evidence-based strategies such as the Patient Education Assessment of Materials.

Health Literacy, Health Disparities, and Sources of Health Information in U.S. Older Adults.

Background: Low health literacy in older adults has been associated with poor health outcomes (i.e., mortality, decreased physical and cognitive functioning, and less preventive care utilization).

R.E.A.C.H. to Teach: Making Patient and Family Education "Stick".

Healthcare professionals teach patients and families about their health every day. Regulatory and accreditation organizations mandate patient and family education to promote better health outcomes. And recently, financial rewards for healthcare organizations are being tied to patient satisfaction (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems-HCAHPS).

The Mortality Review Committee: a novel and scalable approach to reducing inpatient mortality.

Background: Despite the importance of reducing inpatient mortality, little has been reported about establishing a hospitalwide, systematic process to review and address inpatient deaths. In 2006 the University of Pennsylvania Health System's Mortality Review Committee was established and charged with reducing inpatient mortality as measured by the mortality index--observed/expected mortality.

Methods: Between 2006 and 2012, through interdisciplinary meetings and analysis of administrative data and chart reviews, the Mortality Review Committee identified a number of opportunities for improvement in the quality of patient care.

Case studies in geriatric health literacy.

The geriatric population has the highest rate of low health literacy when compared with other age groups. To maximize health outcomes with this group, healthcare providers have an obligation to recognize individuals with potential for low health literacy and educate these patients in a manner that ensures understanding. Research and clinical experience have demonstrated several interventions that are useful in providing effective health education including the use of the teach-back technique, multimedia material including visual aids, simple and clear language, support persons, and experiences.

Seeking health information: what sources do your patients use?

Healthcare professionals believe that it is important for patients to be educated about health for optimal outcomes. For education to occur, healthcare professionals need to know where patients seek information. The concept of health information-seeking behavior (HISB) focuses on how patients obtain information (strategies/actions).

Ethical considerations in patient and family education: using the symphonological approach.

Most individuals view ethics in healthcare as reserved only for dramatic situations such as withdrawing life support. However, almost everyday, routine decisions in healthcare involve ethics. Providing patient education in an effective manner depends upon using an ethical approach.

Understanding the health literacy of America: results of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

Health literacy refers to an individual's ability to understand healthcare information to make appropriate decisions. Healthcare professionals are obligated to make sure that patients understand information to maximize the benefits of healthcare. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) provides information on the literacy/health literacy levels of the U.

Teaching the geriatric patient. Making the most of "cognitive resources" and "gains".

Educating the older adult about healthcare information can be a challenge because of the cognitive decline that accompanies the aging process. This article focuses on the cognitive "resources" that have been linked to declines in cognition: sensory input, processing speed, working memory, and inhibition. Although much attention is focused on the cognitive losses that occur with aging, there are also "gains" such as wisdom that assist the older adult in learning healthcare information.

Health literacy in geriatric patients: An integrative review of the literature.

The concept of health literacy is a recent addition to healthcare literature, appearing in the early to mid 1990s. Health literacy refers to individuals' ability to understand their healthcare issues and effectively care for themselves in the healthcare system. Individuals' health literacy abilities vary greatly and can be viewed on a continuum ranging from adequate to marginal to inadequate.

Patient Education Corner. Accessing and evaluating the Internet for patient and family education.

In the last decade, the Internet has become a vast resource for healthcare information. Multiple Web sites, produced by the federal government, healthcare institutions, and individual healthcare providers, give Americans a wealth of useful information sources. Nurses recognize that more Americans than ever before are using the Internet and that nurses are in an excellent position to help patients learn how to search for healthcare topics and evaluate the information found.

Do your patients understand? Providing culturally congruent patient education.

Providing culturally congruent patient and family education is crucial for the current U.S. society.

Do your patients understand? Determining your patients' health literacy skills.

Despite teaching endeavors, nurses are constantly faced with patients who do not understand how to manage their healthcare. This problem has come to the forefront of healthcare issues. As a society, there is concern that despite medical advances, progress with healthcare may be in jeopardy because the skills needed by patients to manage their care are insufficient.

Developing continuing education for contact hour approval through NAON.

Developing quality continuing nursing education for contact-hour approval requires a basic understanding of the continuing nursing education (CNE) system and the application process through the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON). The Approver Unit of NAON helps CNE providers (i.e.