The first principle of patient education, as far as I can write about it, is that the family plays a very important role in patient care. Patients know this, and they want their families involved in their recovery. That is part of why the Family Mediation Rule was enacted. Unfortunately, there are still too many “caregivers” out there who do not understand this principle or who simply do not follow it. They do not make it a priority to sit down with each family member and explain the dynamics of patient care and family mediation.
Which principle pertaining to the role of family in patient education is most accurate? The answer may surprise you. It is this one:
The greatest ally of any health educator, whether he or she chooses to work with families, with health plans, with hospitals, or with other professionals, is crystallized intelligence. If you ask any adolescent what the best thing that a health educator can offer them, they will say, “crystalized intelligence.”
The health care industry, in particular, has developed a great aversion to providing much information to patients. It is not a very popular industry. Too many people (in medical circles) call it quackery. There is a reason for this: Most health care professionals consider themselves experts. They must treat the patient as though he or she were a child who cannot understand what is happening.
This is called being “curious.” It is also called ignorance, which is the parent’s worst enemy. You may wonder how I find this funny. Because I was the patient’s primary health care provider for many years, I learned very quickly how many adults do not think much of their own health care. I think that many adolescents and their parents are the same. In their own world, they think that they know what is best for the adolescent, but often times they do not really understand the concept of family health.
One example is something that happens to me all the time. I use a patient’s name in the title of my eBooks, but I never use their first name when I write about them. That is because I never met them. It would be inappropriate for a health care professional to refer to them by their first name while describing an illness or condition that occurred in their body.
As a health care provider, I do have to deal with some patients who do not really listen to what I am saying or do not truly comprehend what I am trying to convey. For this reason, I use the “patient education” method which instructs the parents and guardians of adolescents to educate themselves about health and safety. We need to show them that we as health care professionals are equipped and trained in dealing with health and safety issues. It is also our responsibility as educators to impart this knowledge to our students. This is done through training courses and lectures at schools, summer camps, and community colleges. This is one of the ways by which we are trying to raise awareness and communication about health care.