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© 2013 Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates
Tamura-Lis, W. (2013). Teach-back for quality education and patient safety. Urologic Nursing, 33(6), 267-271, 298. doi:10.7257/1053-816X.2013.33.6.267
Effective clinician-patient communication, a clear understanding of patient literacy, and use of the Teach-Back Method are useful tools in helping patients to better understand their own medical conditions. Educated patients are able to manage their medications, fully participate in their treatments, and follow protocols to achieve the goal of safe quality care. The end result is win-win: positive patient outcomes and increased patient satisfaction.
Key Words: Communication, medical literacy, teach-back method, safe care, quality care, patient outcomes, patient satisfaction.
Everyone benefits from the transfer of clear information, particularly in a health care setting. Effective patient education can have a significant impact on quality care and patient safety, and leads to improved patient satisfaction. One of the most promising and successful, evidence-based methods of patient education is the Teach-Back Method. Teach-back is a proven method to confirm when the health care professional has explained the necessary information in a manner patients can understand. Patient understanding is verified when patients can restate the information in their own words (Abrams et al., 2007; DeWalt et al., 2010; Weiss, 2007). This article describes: 1) the teach-back process and how it can be used to promote patient health literacy, 2) how teach-back facilitates patient comprehension, and 3) the key elements for using teach-back appropriately.
The goal of teach-back is to provide effective teaching at the literacy level of the patient or the primary learner. The primary learner may be the patient, a family member, or another support person. Early identification of the primary learner is essential to understanding, adherence, and satisfaction with self-care activities that might include medication administration, diet modification, lifestyle changes, and management of future clinical appointments (DeWalt et al., 2010). Use of an evidence-based method such as teach-back to communicate medical information enables clinicians to subsequently evaluate whether learning has occurred.
Objectives:
1. Define the Teach-Back Method.
2. Explain the benefits of using the Teach-Back Method in patient education.
Health Literacy - Why Teach-Back Is Needed
Health literacy is the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions (Abrams et al., 2007). More...