Patient education is an investment in the health and wellness of your patients as well as to your clinic. The more involved and informed your patients are of their conditions, and the more they understand the benefits of treatment, the more likely they will continue to follow your recommended treatment plan. It's a cycle of wellness that ultimately will build your practice with increased patient retention, and those satisfied patients will, in turn, refer you to their friends and family. The overall effectiveness of a patient education program takes into consideration the patients' needs, the staff's involvement in distributing the information, and the ability to capture what the patient learned in the doctor's notes. Not all patient education programs are created equally. When shopping for a system, check to see if it's integrated with the rest of your clinic management software. The easier it is for your staff to implement, the better for everyone. Is the material your patients receive informative, up-to-date, and relevant? Finally, can a summary of the information get inserted into the doctor's notes or the patient's record for easy follow-up? The answers to these questions are pertinent to the success of your practice and to your patient's well-being.
