A Literature Review of Patient Education: Is IT Time to Move Forward?

Abstract

Introduction: Patient education is fundamental to high-quality care, enabling patient empowerment and improving outcomes and quality of life. Therefore, identifying the most effective education method should take precedence. Modern society relies heavily on technology and the Internet. Consequently, computer-based learning systems (CBLSs) have been introduced to increase information efficacy. This review aims to establish whether CBLSs should replace standard education for cancer populations.Methods: A systematic review of up-to-date studies comparing CBLSs and standard education for cancer patients was conducted. Results were assessed in terms of outcomes (knowledge, satisfaction, and decision making) and patient characteristics (age, sex, and socioeconomic status).Results: Results are conflicting. Although CBLSs scored highly in certain outcomes, standard education was more suited to some patient characteristics. Additionally, subgroups of society (older and low socioeconomic populations) were poorly represented in studies.Conclusions: Up-to-date research on cancer patient education is lacking. Results indicate that although CBLSs for cancer education show promise, further research is required. R ESUM E Introduction : L' education du patient est un aspect fondamental de la qualit e des soins, en permettant la responsabilisation du patient et l'am elioration des r esultats et de la qualit e de vie. La d etermination de la m ethode d' education la plus efficace est donc primordiale. Comme la soci et e moderne s'appuie fortement sur la technologie et internet, les syst emes d'apprentissage assist e par ordinateur (SAAO) ont et e mis en place pour augmenter l'efficacit e de l'information. Cette revue vise a d eterminer si les SAAO devraient remplacer les modalit es standard d' education pour les patients atteints de cancer. M ethodologie : Une revue syst ematique des etudes a jour comparant les SAAO et les modalit es standard pour les patients a et e r ealis ee. Les r esultats ont et e evalu es en termes de produits (connaissances, satisfaction, prise de d ecision) et de caract eristiques du patient (âge, sexe, statut socio economique).R esultats : Les r esultats sont ambigus. Bien que les SAAO obtiennent une note elev ee pour certains produits, les modalit es d' education standard sont mieux adapt ees a certaines caract eristiques des patients. Par ailleurs, certains sous-groupes sociaux (populations plusâg ees et de niveau socio economique plus faible) etaient sous-repr esent es dans les etudes.Conclusions : Il y a un manque de recherches a jour sur l' education des patients atteints de cancer. Les r esultats indiquent que d'autres recherches sont n ecessaires, même si les syst emes d'apprentissage assist e par ordinateur semblent prometteurs.

Empowering Patients in the Therapeutic Decision-Making Process: A Glance Into Behçet's Syndrome

“…Patients' education can be considered as one of main principles behind patients' empowerment, both in terms of knowledge and awareness on the disease and in terms of rights and responsibility that the patient has in the care process ( 52 ).…”