Proper communication is pivotal to the provision of healthcare. It has been shown through research that patients that have adequate information about their illnesses are more likely to comply with the treatments prescribed than those who do not. There are many options of communication including, electronic media, health talks, print media and patient education handouts among others. Each of these options is associated with various advantages and disadvantages.
The content of the handout is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of the exercise. Coming up with the message is also the most difficult task of the entire activity. The factors that will determine what goes to the brochure as the message include the type of disease being dealt with, the age and gender of patients. There may be a need to conduct some research beforehand to understand these segments.
Choose a format that will make the brochure readable. This will be achieved through proper formatting. Ensure also that only the important information is included. There should be main titles to address the main topic and subtitles to give more explanation on the main title. If you are discussing hypertension, for example, the subtitles may include the symptoms, causes and management. Another popular approach is the question and answer format.
The level of vocabulary that you use in your brochure should be appropriate for the level of education of the audience. If you are not sure, the safest thing to do is to go for the simplest. Use short and concise sentences that are devoid of convoluted explanations. Medical jargon needs to be avoided as much as possible and if it has to be included, the terms used should have accompanying explanations.
The importance of illustrations cannot be overemphasized. In general, you will have two types of illustrations to choose from. They include the informational and the filler types. Informational illustrations are usually included in the material for educational purposes. An example of this type is a heart showing the heart and its associated vessels. Fillers are mainly added to add color and to break the monotony of text. They would include, for instance, a happy client, images of medical equipment and so on.
If you find yourself in a position where you may not have the requisite knowledge or time to undertake the task then you can consider outsourcing it. The contracted agency then conducts its own research before embarking on the design and production process. A number of advantages may arise from outsourcing. One of them is that you will get time to concentrate on other things. Another benefit is that you will have it done professionally.
Brochures may serve as an effective advertising tool apart from being educational materials. They are commonly used to educate clients concerning the services being provided by the facility. If you are educating the clients on work related injuries, for instance, you may include ways in which these injuries are managed in your facility. The only prerequisite is that the space that is reserved for advertisement should not exceed 20% of the entire handout.
There is a high probability that educational handouts will continue to be used for a long time to come. The conversion of the brochures into soft copies has made it possible to distribute the material quite easily electronically. Another modification that has encouraged their use is the adoption of more creative designs such as calendars and bookmarks.
The content of the handout is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of the exercise. Coming up with the message is also the most difficult task of the entire activity. The factors that will determine what goes to the brochure as the message include the type of disease being dealt with, the age and gender of patients. There may be a need to conduct some research beforehand to understand these segments.
Choose a format that will make the brochure readable. This will be achieved through proper formatting. Ensure also that only the important information is included. There should be main titles to address the main topic and subtitles to give more explanation on the main title. If you are discussing hypertension, for example, the subtitles may include the symptoms, causes and management. Another popular approach is the question and answer format.
The level of vocabulary that you use in your brochure should be appropriate for the level of education of the audience. If you are not sure, the safest thing to do is to go for the simplest. Use short and concise sentences that are devoid of convoluted explanations. Medical jargon needs to be avoided as much as possible and if it has to be included, the terms used should have accompanying explanations.
The importance of illustrations cannot be overemphasized. In general, you will have two types of illustrations to choose from. They include the informational and the filler types. Informational illustrations are usually included in the material for educational purposes. An example of this type is a heart showing the heart and its associated vessels. Fillers are mainly added to add color and to break the monotony of text. They would include, for instance, a happy client, images of medical equipment and so on.
If you find yourself in a position where you may not have the requisite knowledge or time to undertake the task then you can consider outsourcing it. The contracted agency then conducts its own research before embarking on the design and production process. A number of advantages may arise from outsourcing. One of them is that you will get time to concentrate on other things. Another benefit is that you will have it done professionally.
Brochures may serve as an effective advertising tool apart from being educational materials. They are commonly used to educate clients concerning the services being provided by the facility. If you are educating the clients on work related injuries, for instance, you may include ways in which these injuries are managed in your facility. The only prerequisite is that the space that is reserved for advertisement should not exceed 20% of the entire handout.
There is a high probability that educational handouts will continue to be used for a long time to come. The conversion of the brochures into soft copies has made it possible to distribute the material quite easily electronically. Another modification that has encouraged their use is the adoption of more creative designs such as calendars and bookmarks.
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patient education handouts are now available on our official website. To learn more about these educational materials, go directly to this page http://www.vivacare.com.
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