Recent trends in health care, especially shorter hospital stays, mean the program has a briefer time period to get information to patients. Accordingly, the program has placed more emphasis on reaching patients before admission and after discharge. This ranges from general information about Jefferson and their hospitalization to what to expect from a particular procedure and the care they will receive while in the hospital. Including patient education in critical pathways, such as those for joint replacement and heart surgery, helps us meet the challenge of teaching patients in briefer time periods. Patients receive education materials about specific procedures, illnesses or treatments and self-care.
Formats range from brief one-page information sheets to detailed care manuals and videos.
All are produced with editorial and graphics support from Jefferson's marketing department before being printed by the Jefferson Printing Center. All were produced with inhouse Jefferson resources. The recent installation of a new hospital closed-circuit TV system for patients will broaden the video exposure of patient education, Ms. Albanese points out. Currently only pre-scheduled education programs are available. Eventually, patients will be able to use handheld remotes to view programs on demand.