Patient education is the process of influencing behaviors exhibited by patients to aid in their recovery. Patient education enhances knowledge, skills and the attitude needed for the patient to recover and improve their general health. Health care providers are responsible for educating their patients on all the things they need to maintain and improve their health. According to Heath (2021), before engaging in any patient education with a patient, doctors need to know the current knowledge of the patient. Patient education can be enhanced by using tools such as books and practical demonstrations.
The patient is a 57-year-old healthy man who had to undergo bilateral knee surgery due to a fall. As a result of the fall, my patient suffered a knee-tendon rapture, affecting his mobility. The bilateral knee surgery was necessary to feel comfortable and ensure he had complete control of his mobility. The care given to the patient after his bilateral knee surgery was effective to aid in his recovery. Patient education was offered to the patient, who could walk with the aid of a walker only forty-eight hours after the surgery. Patients who undergo bilateral knee surgery are advised to exercise frequently on their artificial knees. Bilateral knee surgery recovery can take up to three to six weeks, which means they can get on with their everyday routines after a short recovery period. Patient education offered to my patient was on how to increase his strength and help in reducing pain. The other form of patient education required for my patient was the use of his pain medications. The type of medication prescribed to him was acetaminophen and oxycodone. Such pain medications can easily cause addiction if used inappropriately. The patient was taught the exact dosage to take at any particular time to avoid his use becoming an addiction. The use of medications such as oxycodone with other medicines can cause severe health complications like breathing problems and coma (MedlinePlus, n.d). The patient was educated on the type of medicine to avoid when using oxycodone after the knee surgery.
The textbook and articles from further research support the importance of patient education. The strategies outlined in the textbook to help foster patient education are similar to those in other articles and journals. According to Kluwer (2020), patient education should also include the patient’s family members because they also need to know the basics of how to take care of their loved one. Including family members also helps the patient stick to the instructions given by the health care provider even when they are discharged from the hospital. The patient should start their education immediately after they are admitted to help them know the importance of their participation in their recovery. Like the textbook and other articles’ advice, my patient needs to learn what he has to do for a quick recovery from his bilateral knee surgery. Once he has been discharged, his efforts and knowledge of self-care will help him recover well, and he will go back to his everyday routine.
I have learned that health care providers play an essential role in ensuring patients know how to take care of themselves. Without insight from health care providers, the patients may take a long time for their recovery process. Patient education increases the knowledge for patients to improve their health even after recovery. My patient learned that constant exercise on his artificial knee would help him recover faster, and it will also help him feel comfortable with his new knee. Patients need assistance because they are not health care providers, and they do not know much about recovery and health improvement. Doctors and nurses should understand their patients and use methods of education that the patients understand best.
References
Heath, S. (2021, September 15). 4 Patient Education Strategies That Drive Patient Activation. PatientEngagementHIT. https://patientengagementhit.com/news/4-patient-education-strategies-that-drive-patient-activation
Kluwer, W. (2020, April 24). 5 strategies for providing effective patient education. Wolters Kluwer. https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/5-strategies-for-providing-effective-patient-education
MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Oxycodone: MedlinePlus Drug Information. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682132.html
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