A recent study of 87 primary care encounters found that providers used at least 1 type of medical jargon without explaining it to patients in nearly 80% of appointments, with an average of more than 4 uses of jargon per visit. Fewer than half of the terms were explained, and overall, providers used a jargon term about once every 4 minutes!
Fully understanding your explanation and instructions is vital to good patient outcomes, providers often overestimate what their patients grasp.
What can you do? Try simple Teach-Back.
Here's one pediatrician's experience:
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Practice Experiences |
The teach-back and show-me methods are valuable tools for everyone to use with each patient and for all clinic staff to use. These methods can help you:
- Improve patient understanding and adherence.
- Decrease call backs and cancelled appointments.
- Improve patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Interested in learning even more? Check out Health Literacy Universal Precautions from AHRQ!
