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Patient education in Europe: united differences
A Visser1, A Deccache, J Bensing
1Helen Dowling Institute, P.O. Box 85061, 3508 AB, Utrecht, The Netherlands. adriaan.visser@wxs.nl
Patient Education and Counseling
|June 8, 2001
Summary
Patient education, encompassing therapeutic and health education, is evolving across Europe and the US. Key factors for its development include research, care organization, training, professional values, and health policy integration.
Area of Science:
- Health Communication
- Patient Education
- Health Policy
Background:
- Patient education encompasses therapeutic education, health education, and clinical health promotion.
- The state of patient education in European countries and the US is presented.
- The content is based on papers from a May 1999 meeting in Paris.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the state of the art of patient education in Europe and the US.
- To identify key factors influencing the development of patient education.
- To highlight common orientations and priorities in European patient education.
Main Methods:
- Review of papers presented at an international meeting on patient education.
- Analysis of patient education practices in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, and the US.
- Case study of integrated international practice in diabetes patient education.
Main Results:
- Five key factors identified: research/standards, care organization, training, professional values, and health policy.
- Common orientations and priorities in patient education across reviewed countries are highlighted.
- An example of integrated international practice in diabetes patient education is described.
Conclusions:
- Patient education development is influenced by multiple interconnected factors.
- There are shared trends and priorities in patient education across European nations.
- Future development of health care communication within patient education in Europe is discussed.