Pulmonary rehabilitation. Patient and family education

Patient and family education is essential in all settings, not only the rehabilitative setting. The patient may be in a variety of settings: the intensive care unit, a general medical or surgical unit, an outpatient clinic, or at home. The health care professional will need to determine what the patient has to learn. Teaching can be done by all members of the multidisciplinary team, and the education that has been completed should be communicated to other members through a good record keeping system. It can never be assumed that the patient already knows something. For example, many patients who have been taking medication for months or years do not really understand the expected beneficial effect or the side effects, and often patients are reluctant to ask questions concerning their treatment. The goal of patient education is to help patients take more responsibility for their self-care and to help them cope with changes that have taken place in their physical and functional status. It has been shown that when patients' involvement in the learning process is maximized, their ability to make decisions and take actions that increase their coping mechanisms is enhanced. Teaching is a never-ending process and may need repetition and reemphasis as the patient's condition changes and for the remainder of the relationship between the health professional and the patient and family. The learner's individuality must be respected and teaching must be adapted to meet individual patient needs. Patient and family education is a challenge to all health care professionals, but one that must be undertaken in an attempt to meet all of the individual's needs.