Patient Education
Description
The word doctor comes from the Latin root "doctos" – meaning to teach, and this is an important part of what any doctor should do. Unfortunately, many of us only really begin to learn about our body once something has gone wrong with it. Patient education is an ongoing process that takes on many forms.
Conditions Treated
Patient education applies to all spinal problems.
What Does Patient Education Involve?
- The basics of patient education involve providing patients with information about their condition, diagnostic tests that may be performed and possible treatments.
- There are many forums for patient education, which include discussions with care providers, reading brochures and other printed materials, videos and visiting websites. For patients with back and/or neck pain, an educational program called back school may be used. This is a comprehensive, organized session in which information about anatomy, body mechanics, diagnostic tests, treatments and many other spine-related topics is provided.
- One note of caution, the quality and accuracy of information on web pages varies greatly. If you read something that gives you concern, discuss it with your care provider.
- One of the key components of effective patient education is for the patient to take an active role in the educational process:
- This involves applying the materials learned with respect to lifestyle changes.
- Perhaps one of the most important aspects is for patients to ask questions until they feel confident they understand the information provided, any concerns they have and other options for care.