Interactive and hands-on client education key to information retention
Retaining information vital to patients’ getting involved in their own care
Tuesday June 10, 2008 -- Jason Thompson
Cheryl Osborne says by engaging patients in educational programming that is interactive and hands-on, as opposed to a lecture-style presentation, they’re more likely to retain the information.

Osborne, the clinical manager of special care nursery, paediatrics and maternal child out-patient clinics with Markham Stouffville Hospital, says this concept is evident in the hospital’s cardiovascular risk program, which utilizes an educational model known as the cone of learning.

“The literature tells us that when a class is developed in that style, the retention of learning is very high,” Osborne says.

According to the cone of learning, people remember approximately 10 per cent of what they hear, 30 per cent of what they say and hear, and 90 per cent of what they say, hear and do.

“Where you have a combination of all three of those modes of educational delivery within your class session, you will retain a much higher percentage of the material,” Osborne says.

This is especially critical for patients who are being asked to take an increasingly larger role in their own healthcare.

“If you don’t generate that desire to be involved in your own health, you come, you take it in, you go home and you forget about it or the information you get goes in a drawer,” Osborne says, noting time and time again when patients return to the hospital having not met their goals.

“We feel this is something we can do to help our clients in being more motivated. If they enjoy the class, see how it applies to them and the learning is fun, they will be more successful.”

Developed by Darcy Corby, a diabetes nurse educator formerly with Markham Stouffville Hospital, along with dietician Debbie Beaumont, the cardiovascular risk program gives patients an opportunity to learn about the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and stroke.

It also assists in selecting strategies to modify their risks and manage cardiovascular disease concurrently with their diabetes.

Having demonstrated success with the cardiovascular risk program, Osborne says other educational programming at Markham Stouffville Hospital will be developed in a similar fashion.

Is your organization taking an innovative approach to patient education? To share your story, contact the newsroom by phoning (800) 294-005, ext. 25 or e-mail jason(at)axiomnews.ca.