The Use of Public Education in Practice

Miriam E. Bar-on

doi:10.1542/pir.22-3-75

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Miriam E. Bar-on, MD^*

^*Professor of Pediatrics, Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL Dr Bar-on also is Chair, Committee on Public Education, American Academy of Pediatrics.

Objectives After completing this article, readers should be able to:

Describe the primary goals of patient handouts.
Describe the primary goals of group education for patients who have specific disease processes.
Delineate the advantages of pediatrician involvement in the community.
Describe quality issues related to patient education on the Internet.
List the advantages of developing media contacts and providing information to them.

Introduction

Public or patient education is one means of attaining the optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults, as stated in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) mission statement. By definition, patient education is the process of influencing patient behavior and producing changes in knowledge, attitudes, and skills required to maintain or improve health. This usually is addressed on an individual basis and includes teaching and counseling to enable patients to stay healthy and manage illness better when it occurs. Public education, on the other hand, is a broader term that includes the pediatrician’s role in influencing the health status of the public through involvement with community groups and the media. Both types of education are important and merit pediatrician involvement. Questions arise as to the best and most effective ways to provide this education within the constraints of busy practices or other commitments.

Public education can be incorporated into pediatricians’ daily activities in a variety of ways both inside and outside the office. Studies in the medical literature have reviewed the outcomes of public/patient education programs and their effectiveness in practice. This article examines various methods of public/patient education that may enhance pediatricians’ promotion of health and well-being for their patients. Although many of the methods discussed will be familiar, there is evidence in the literature that public/patient education is not adequately provided to patients.