Getting the Most from your Healthcare Appointment
Overview
Health care appointments can be stressful for any patient. Research shows that patients forget 50% of the information shared during an appointment. Contributing factors include stress; too much information provided too quickly, unfamiliar medical jargon and the patient’s self-confidence level. The evidence is clear, patients who take an active role in their health care are more satisfied, pursue timely and appropriate treatment and have a better quality of life. Communicating well with health care providers is one of the most important parts of getting good care however it takes time and effort by both parties.
Program Description
As the result of client feedback and in conjunction with our current Health Literacy program for providers, the “Getting the most from your healthcare appointment” workshop was developed for the public. This 1 – 1.5 hours, interactive workshop, focuses on what to do before, during and after an appointment and uses action planning to optimize people’s health. A variety of learning resources are used including information sharing, videos, tools and a resource manual that supports the individual with integrating the skills into their next appointment. This workshop prepares and empowers individuals to communicate more effectively with their health care provider. Ultimately, patients are the most important members of their healthcare team.
Why is this important?
- 60% of adults have low health literacy skills including 88% of seniors.
- People with chronic disease spend on average 12 hours a year with a health care provider. The other 364 ½ days they manage on their own.
- Upon discharge, 1 out of 3 patients do not understand the answers to their questions
If you are interested in learning more about this FREE workshop or would like to hold a workshop within your organization, please contact us at:
807-766-2805 or 1‐800‐626-5406
Jenny.Su@nw.ccac-ont.ca