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Chuck: Hello, and welcome to Patient Educators Update. I'm Chuck Jones with Synergy Broadcasts,
and I'm pleased to welcome our guest today, Fran London. Hi, Fran.
Fran: Hi, Chuck. Chuck: Fran is the Patient Education Specialist
for Phoenix Children's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, and she's also the author of the
book, "No Time to Teach", which we use as a source of many of our shows. Fran, today
we're going to talk about using materials in patient education, and specifically, we're
going to talk about how to teach with booklets, pamphlets, and tear sheets. I guess that would
just encompass handouts in general. So, I'm going to turn it over to you and get
you to explain what these are and how to use them, and specifically on tear sheets, because
that's not a term that I'm familiar with. Fran: Sure. Well, you know what a pamphlet
is, a booklet. A handout is often just a piece of paper. Tear sheets often come in pads.
So they're handouts that you get a pad of 100 of them, and you just tear them off as
you need them. Chuck: Okay. Now are tear sheets normally
sent by either publishers or drug manufacturers? Or those also can made in internal, and the
printer just pads them up for you? Fran: I haven't seen them internally, but
I'm sure it's possible. But usually they're published, purchased, and drug companies could
also provide them. Chuck: Okay. I got you. Okay. Well, talk
to us a little bit about how they should be used, when they should be used, dos and don'ts,
tips and tricks. Fran: Well, I have my own bias here, which
is that if you don't feel the need to discuss the contents are of a handout or a pamphlet,
or a booklet or whatever, then maybe you shouldn't even give it at all, because if it's not that
important. Why waste the trees? But if there is something important in the content that
you're handing to people, and generally these are best used as reference materials for the
learner to use at home. So if you give instructions about what to
do and what not to do it's nice to have them in writing to refer to later, or steps of
a procedure that you do at home in writing. Chuck: Yeah.
Fran: So, basically I think they should be used for reference. Then when you're teaching
to actually refer to them while you're teaching, so that the learner can either underline or
highlight or take notes while going through the contents.
Chuck: Yeah. I would think, from an education standpoint, handouts that include pictures
or diagrams, perhaps may be more descriptive than just text.
Fran: Exactly. Yeah, because this is something, again, they could refer to and help to identify
where pieces are. Chuck: Yeah. Do you recommend that the
nurse draw or put arrows, or highlight different areas?
Fran: Interaction is always better. So, yes, because then it will be more meaningful
to the learner. Even putting the name of the person, the patient, on the piece of paper
makes it more personal and makes it more likely that they will connect with the contents.
Chuck: Okay. If the patient can write and kind of sit up in bed, does it make sense
to give it to them and maybe have them mark it up? Or does that not work very well?
Fran: Either way works. Chuck: Okay.
Fran: People learn through the process of actually writing, so that helps them remember
what the notes are. But if you're making arrows and pointing to pictures, you could write
on it too and it would still be meaningful for them.
Chuck: Okay. Is it appropriate while you're working with handouts to be observant in assessing
and using teach-back during this process? Fran: Absolutely. Yeah. There are lots
of ways to go about initiating the use of paper materials. I mean, one is to, if you're
really busy, hand it to them, ask him to read it first, and then come back and talk about
the key points. Or when you hand it them say, "I want you to especially pay attention to
this part and we'll talk about this." Then when you go back, do an assessment, evaluate
understanding. Ask them to tell you what they got out of
it, what the key points are, how they're going to change their behaviors when they get home
based what it says. So, yeah. I's a tool for teaching. It doesn't do the teaching.
Chuck: Yeah. I would also point out that some of the tips that you just got through
talking about are similar to the way that you use video in terms of having them do it
while you're not there and being prepared to discuss when you come back, because that
helps kind of empower them. Put them in the driver's seat to learn, and then when you
come back the question you don't ask is, "Did you understand?"
Fran: Yeah. Right. Chuck: You kind of dig down in there. So
that makes a lot of sense. So, the takeaway that I have on this is that the process of
teaching with a handout, whether it be printed in black and white or color pictures or whatever,
the process is basically the same. You need to use it if it's going to add value to the
process. You need to be cognizant of the patient's reaction and whether or not they're absorbing. You need to be assessing and asking questions
other than, "Did you understand?" And using teach-back in terms of... Basically what I'm
saying is the process is similar, regardless of the device that you have to support the
teaching. Is that correct? Fran: Exactly, because it's all evidence
based. As you were talking I just thought of one more thing that was very important
before you start, is make sure the patient can read before you hand them something to
read. Chuck: Yeah. I can see where that would
be something you would just naturally assume, and it's not a good assumption. Yeah. Now,
what about - we didn't talk about this before we started recording - foreign language issues?
Fran: Yeah, that's very important. Because what I see often is we have printed materials
in, for example, Spanish, in Arizona, and it's easier to just hand it to the patient
than to have that conversation with an interpreter. It's still very important to get an interpreter.
Because, again, you don't know if they can read, if they understand it, if the medical
material makes sense to them, if they can apply it in real life.
You still have to have that interactive conversation to evaluate understanding and to give them
an opportunity to ask questions. Chuck: Yeah, because the natural reaction,
I think, is always going to be, "Do you have any questions?" "No."
Fran: Right. Chuck: So you've got to ask the questions,
or go specific, to get them to kind of pull them out of their shell, so to speak, so they're
not embarrassed about speaking about it. Fran: Exactly.
Chuck: Yeah. Okay. Fran: As you pointed out, observe, and
notice if there's any sign of misunderstanding or confusion.
Chuck: Yeah, which nowadays you can pretty much look at people and tell they don't understand
something. So, all you have to do is just pay attention and you can really get that.
Fran: Yeah. Chuck: Yeah. Okay, good. All right. Well,
that's all about teaching with booklets, pamphlets, and tear sheets. For those following along
in your book that's on page 91 of your book, "No Time to Teach", which folks can find at
their perhaps local bookstore. But it's certainly available from Amazon and it's available online
as an e-book for Kindle and other readers.
For those out there who are teaching staff and want to use it as a primer for any of
their discussions in group-type stuff, you can get a discount on Fran's book from the
publisher, Pritchett & Hall , and that's P-H.com, and they'll work that out for you. Fran, why
don't you tell folks how they can get hold of you.
Fran: I have a blog, a website at www.notimetoteach.com, and I'm on Twitter @notimetoteach.
Chuck: Okay, cool. Well, I appreciate the feedback on how to teach with pamphlets and
handouts, and let folks know that we're going to have a future episode that's going to talk
about how to teach when you don't have anything in your hand. So, that will be coming up soon.
So, thanks very much for your time, and we'll talk to you later.
Fran: Okay, thanks, Chuck. Chuck: You bet. Bye-bye.
Fran: Bye.