The Importance of Patient Education Throughout the Continuum of Health Care

Health care consumers today are information seekers with a plethora of knowledge available at their fingertips. Individuals who have health care decisions will frequently present the health care professional with health information found on the Internet, written health literature, or anecdotes of well-meaning family friends. Yet this health information may be inaccurate or come from unreliable sources. How the health professional responds to information presented by the health care consumer may dramatically affect the relationship with the health professional. If the reaction is interpreted negatively, the health consumer may seek health care somewhere else. By increasing awareness of credible health information sources and steering the health care consumer to appropriate and reliable information, the health professional can have a positive impact on the health care outcome. Patient education must be viewed as part of the continuum of health care and accurate health information the foundation.