With only about 12% of U.S. adults having what is considered proficient health literacy, a plain language "universal precautions" approach toward the writing of patient education materials is warranted. In practice, however, this is seldom done. One persistent reason for this is that the market research that informs the writing of…

In recent years, communication education has been used as a means of improving the clinician-patient relationship and promoting health. The focus of these interventions has primarily centered on clinician training. An area that has received less focus, although equally important, is training patients to be good communicators. The purpose of the…

Hospice is a family-centered concept of care which needs home economists from all subject-matter areas in volunteer or paid professional roles. In turn, home economists can grow personally as well as professionally through their involvement with hospice. (Author)

Discusses the teaching behavior of nurses when dealing with the elderly. Analyzes methods frequently used by nurses when teaching self-care skills to older adults. (JOW)

The author analyzes the maturational process of patient education programs and describes the issues and problems that must be resolved to turn fragmented efforts into a strong, comprehensive program. (Author/CT)

Proves that theory can be a practical approach to nursing care delivery by applying theory to the new nursing role of the case manager. Applies the author's theory of health and looks at its implications for various aspects of provider practice. (Author)

Discusses the importance of medical self-care, what people do to recognize, prevent, treat, and manage their own health problems. Specifically looks at the benefits of self-care for older adults. (JOW)

Patients' use of Internet health information raises concerns about reliability, access to information meant for clinicians, and self-diagnosis and treatment. Nurses should become informed and undertake patient education about consumer health informatics. (Contains 25 references.) (SK)

A successful program for young adults illustrated how hospitals and other agencies can respond effectively to the interrelated challenges of parenthood, marriage, and work. (Author)

Illustrates how self-care can be seen by health care professionals as an important adjunct to the care they give older adults. Suggests the importance of health care professionals knowing the self-care responses to acute illness symptoms and management. (JOW)

A man who has lived with Type 1 "juvenile" diabetes since age 4 reflects on medical professionals' insistence on a vocabulary of "control," although diabetes is not really controllable, and suggests that diabetes education would be more effective if it employed a language of self-care rather than a language of control. (SV)

Identifies problematic aspects of physician-educator interactions as well as ways to minimize such difficulties and facilitate professional interactions between physicians and educators. (JOW)

With health care costs rising rapidly and medical technology expanding, health education has become increasingly important to patients and health care providers. This article provides a brief reminder that health education programs must continue to be a priority and should be evaluated with potential benefits in mind. (Author)

Because high blood pressure is generally asymptomatic, it is difficult to inspire patients to adhere to proper treatment regimens. Case studies of nine patients, mostly Black, showed that compliance problems can be overcome if people are impressed with the idea that hypertension is a disease and not merely a symptom. (Author/GC)

Modern medical practice tends to enable patients to evade responsibility for their own care, and the traditional model robs patients of control and self-esteem. Radical health care reform must include patient empowerment and education. (SK)