The impact of patient education on clinical outcomes can be measured in a number of ways. Educational interventions can improve patients' compliance with their medication regimen and medical follow-up care. Clinical outcomes can also be enhanced by improving the quality of the physician-patient interaction. When patients learn how to have a meaningful discussion with their physician, they are more likely to provide timely reports of their illness symptoms or adverse reactions. This minimizes the likelihood that the patient will discontinue therapy without first contacting their physician.
Clinical outcomes can also improve significantly when the quality of patient self-care improves.
Lifestyle management plays an important role in reducing risk in conditions such as cardiovascular disease and in improving treatment of conditions like congestive heart failure. In many cases improvements in health-related quality of life are a natural result of improved clinical outcomes. However, patients' perception of their quality of life is also improved when they are empowered by well-designed educational programs. Empowered patients tend to feel more personally capable of positively impacting their outcomes. A patient's satisfaction with his or her healthcare depends, to a great extent, on their relationship with the health care provider.