Abstract
This article addresses an overview of patient education required for the postoperative heart transplant patient. The overall purpose of patient education is to insure the patient and, when appropriate, his or her significant other(s) are provided with education to enhance knowledge, skills, and behavior change. Patient education needs are to be continually assessed, identified, and addressed. Education includes instruction in the specific knowledge and skills needed by the patient and his or her significant other(s) to meet the patient's needs. Health education of the postoperative heart transplant patients may add significant and sustained benefits to their recovery and compliance with regime while reducing costs.
PATIENT EDUCATION is much more than giving information or a requirement of regulatory agencies. Patient education involves the process of assessment, setting goals, implementation, and evaluation. Effective educators must be nonjudgmental towards the learners and utilize a wide variety of skills and techniques, such as empathy, caring, good communication, teaching aids, and return demonstration when working with their patients and the family members/significant others.
Patient education is dependent upon the qualities of an effective educator and patient variables that may need to be considered when teaching such as psychological considerations, tools used in teaching, and counseling.
Individual strengths and resources are seen as intricate parts of the person as a whole and these parts break down when the individual's personal or environmental situation changes or fails.