Patient teaching and patient education is an important factor for medical assistants to be aware of because good communication with your patients will improve their understanding of their medical conditions, diagnosis, diseases, or disabilities. Effective communication and patient education increases patient motivation to comply with their treatment plans. Patients are more likely to respond well to their treatment plan with fewer complications when they feel they have been provided the information they need to succeed. It is important to be culturally sensitive and be open to a diverse society, ones beliefs play a large part in their treatment plan.
Important elements of patient education are skill building and responsibility: patients need to know when, how, and why they need to make a lifestyle change and how it will affect their prognosis. A family effort is equally important because each member of the support system needs to be involved.
It is important to ask your patients if their questions have been answered to their understanding, and make sure they have printed or written copies of all important explanations and instructions. Encourage your patients to talk about the information they find on their own. When using technology, make sure it is age appropriate to maximize efficiency.
If the patient is not educated properly the consequences may be dire. Proper education may cause fewer unnecessary phone calls and visits to the office. When the patient feels connected to the provider and well educated, the patient is more likely to stay with your practice and refer other patients because they are confident that they have received the best care possible.