A patient education MAP: an integrated, collaborative approach for rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Nursing
• Patient Education Strategies

Background:

• Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation faced challenges including shorter patient stays, increased patient acuity, and evolving nurse staffing.
• These factors necessitated a review of patient and family education protocols to ensure adequate preparation for home self-care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of a Multidisciplinary Action Plan (MAP) for patient and family education.
• To transition from a multidisciplinary to an interdisciplinary approach for enhanced patient education.
• To establish a framework for education linked to expected patient outcomes and improved self-care competencies.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Multidisciplinary Action Plan (MAP) focusing on an interdisciplinary approach to patient and family education.
• Creation of standardized teaching modules for consistent and comprehensive patient instruction.
• Integration of continuous quality improvement activities to refine the MAP system.

Main Results:

• The MAP system provides a structured framework for patient education, aligning with expected outcomes.
• Reduced redundancy in patient education delivery by professionals from various disciplines.
• Increased collaboration among healthcare professionals involved in patient and family education.

Conclusions:

• The Multidisciplinary Action Plan (MAP) effectively addresses challenges in patient education within a rehabilitation setting.
• The interdisciplinary approach fosters better collaboration and more efficient patient learning.
• The MAP system supports safe and competent patient self-care post-discharge.