Evaluation of patient education programs

Patient education is a vital component of comprehensive quality care for patients with chronic disease. Rarely is patient instruction evaluated, however, in terms of its effectiveness and efficiency. This article presents a rationale for evaluation of patient education and lists several benefits of evaluation to the clinician. A model for evaluation and evaluation activities is described for both the process of developing a patient education program and evaluating its results. Application of this model and examples of the use of evaluation activities are demonstrated in a "real world" experience. The description of a formal patient education program for rheumatoid arthritis patients in a general hospital setting illustrates the usefulness of evaluation in developing and carrying out effective patient education.