Use a secure Internet connection as an education tool to help patients
Use a secure Internet connection as an education tool to help patients
Internet communication helps tailor education to patient’s needs
Institutions that have implemented a secure Internet connection find it valuable, not only for patient care, but for patient education as well. Innovative use of the Internet provides just-in-time education for people using the services of the health care facility.
There are many attributes that are unique to the Internet, says David Wiljer, PhD, director of knowledge management and innovation oncology education/radiation medicine program at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.
According to Wiljer, information is more accessible both to health care professionals and patients. When information is on-line, it can be updated frequently or changed as needed, and patients can access it when they need it — at any time, day or night.
The Internet allows institutions to tailor information to specific patients so they receive it at the moment of their care when they need it rather than being overwhelmed with information that is not currently relevant.
It also provides an opportunity to deliver the message in a number of different formats, including audio, video, and text.
To effectively use the Internet, Princess Margaret Hospital has been exploring how to target information for specific groups to streamline their care. Wiljer says it is important to determine where patients are in the continuum of care and recognize different types of information are needed to support patients, their family members, and health care providers.
The institution’s palliative care site [www.caring totheend.ca] is designed to provide patients with quick access to information about particular problems by using a self-assessment instrument and by providing in-depth information on palliative care and what to expect.
In addition to the information on how to manage end of life care patients have access to hundreds of resources and an easy-to-use database.
For patients at other stages of cancer care, a multimedia system developed for use in-house now is on-line and can be accessed by patients via the Internet. Patients with different types of cancer can access information on the full continuum of their care, including videos, interactive diagrams, interactive anatomy, and patient testimonials.
"As a large comprehensive cancer center, we wanted to use multimedia for our informatics program for education to reach a diverse patient population," says Wiljer.
Every venue for education has a time and place, and a unique quality of the Internet is that it can be a great supplement to face-to-face education, says Ted Eytan, MD, MS, MPH, medical director of the Health Informatics Division of Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, which provides members services and secure messaging via an Internet program called MyGroupHealth.
Eytan says patients have used the system to send physicians messages about sexual dysfunctions they were embarrassed to discuss in person. Also, patients have contacted their physicians about a health problem while traveling.
It can help patients prepare for their appointment with a physician because they can send a message stating that they are coming to the office because of pain in their shoulder and ask for advice on what to try before they arrive. Then, at the time of the appointment, the physician and patient can discuss what worked and what did not. "That actually makes the patient’s time much more valuable," says Eytan.
MyGroupHealth is an appropriate service for patients at Group Health Cooperative because it is a member governed health care system. "It is all about being connected to the health care system and accessing it whenever and wherever you want, at your convenience. If you look at the rest of health care, it is all at the physician’s convenience," he explains.
Patients using MyGroupHealth are able to have secure on-line exchanges with members of their health care team. They can refill prescriptions, get drug information on their medication history, and make appointments with their physician.
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There are many features that help patients manage their health care. When patients receive their lab and other test results on-line, there is a link to Healthwise Knowledgebase that provides information about the purpose of the test, why it was ordered, what the results mean, and what the next steps in the patient’s care might be.
Patients who still have questions can contact their physician by e-mail, telephone, or in person. And because they have information in advance, they can form educated questions.
"What we say is, Information is part of care, and care without information is not care’" says Eytan.
Patients who use MyGroupHealth can graph their lab and test results on-line so, if they are monitoring their cholesterol, they can see the improvements they have made. "There are many times when the best way for patients to understand what is happening with their health care is to [actually] see it," he explains.
Patients also have access via MyGroupHealth to condition centers that provide in-depth information on particular health issues and medical conditions. For example, there is a heart health condition center, a pregnancy condition center, a diabetes condition center, and women at midlife condition center. These centers feature articles, health tools such as a calculator for predicting one’s risk of heart disease, and quizzes.
The Internet is a dynamic medium for education that allows for repetition at the learner’s pace. People can watch or read something time and again. Also they can access educational materials when they are ready to learn instead of when a health care professional has time to teach, says Nita Pyle, MSN, RN, associate director of the Patient Education Office at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
A web portal provides personalized patient education to patients. Patients who take advantage of this service receive educational materials that are specifically related to their disease, medications, and treatment. They also have secure messaging with members of their health care team.
Also, there is access to a computer program titled "Managing Your Chemotherapy Treatment" that has video streaming and text. Patients can see how to manage side effects and learn about nutrition during chemotherapy.
"The Internet makes it possible for health care professionals to use their time face-to-face with the patient for the most necessary education. It can assist them with using their time more efficiently when teaching," says Pyle.
Wiljer says there is a growing body of literature that shows a systematic way of delivering information to patients impacts their quality of care. The Internet provides a systematic delivery method. With its use, patient satisfaction will improve and, if patients can find information, their anxiety levels will be reduced and they will be able to participate in the management of their care.
While the Internet might not be the right educational method for all patients, a surprising number of people appreciate it. Eytan observes that 74% of Group Health members said they would use the web if their physician recommended it. Also, they have found that patient satisfaction is high when members do take advantage of Internet education and services. n
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