An interpersonal-effectiveness approach to consumer health education: rationale and case study

The development and implementation of a program for teaching prospective consumers of medical care services interpersonal-effectiveness advocacy skills are described. Parents of developmentally disabled children attended one of two six-hour workshops to learn self-management, communication and social influence skills for dealing more effectively with health consultants. Consumer satisfaction evaluations indicated that the workshops were successful, and directions for future research and development are discussed.