Patient education

Although this study was done for doctors, we as nurses should use this method. One and maybe the only thing of long lasting usage from my teaching credential program was the use of "paraphrasing of what the student said. In our case we explain to a patient about any number of things like home medications, hip precautions, and the return to ADL once they are home. We would ask them what their understanding of the instructions were to help clarify what the deal is.

Patients Prefer the Method of "Tell Back- Collaborative Inquiry" to Assess Understanding of Medical Information

Posted 04/08/2008

Evelyn C. Kemp, PsyD, RN; Michael R. Floyd, EdD; Elizabeth McCord-Duncan, MD; Forrest Lang, MD
Author Information

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine which approach to assessing understanding of medical information patients most prefer and perceive to be most effective.
Methods: Two videos were shown to participants: (1) a physician explaining a medical condition and its treatment and (2) a physician inquiring about patient understanding of the medical information the patient had been given using 3 different types of inquiry: Yes-No, Tell Back-Collaborative, and Tell Back-Directive.
Results: The Tell Back-Collaborative inquiry was significantly preferred over the other 2 approaches.
Conclusions: Patients strongly prefer the Tell Back-Collaborative inquiry when assessing their understanding. We recommend that physicians ask patients to restate what they understand using their own words and that they use a patient-centered approach.

beeman