Take Charge Of Your Health With Patient Education Handouts
By Patty Goff
In most doctors' waiting rooms, you'll find pamphlets, brochures and even booklets about health-related issues. They make for an interesting diversion from the dog-eared magazines but they also have a much more important function. Patient education handouts can help you take care of yourself and your family.
The handouts are there for you to take home. This is why they're compact and free. They're normally in English but you can often find translated versions too. Many, for instance, are available in Spanish as well. The aim of these materials is to explain the facts around certain conditions in a way that is accessible to people who don't have a medical background and don't understand medical jargon.
One of the best ways to deal with a medical condition is to not get it in the first place. Many ailments are the direct result of a poor lifestyle and are actually completely preventable. With certain lifestyle changes they can even be cured. This is why many educational materials deal with the basics of exercise and a healthy diet to prevent conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.
One of the most important developments in disease prevention has been vaccines. Most countries are now polio and smallpox free due to massive vaccination programs. You also need to have your child vaccinated against other communicable diseases, including measles and mumps. These diseases can have terrible consequences and not having your child vaccinated against them is irresponsible not only towards your family but towards the entire community. Pamphlets about vaccination will tell you more about how these vaccinations work and when to get them.
When you get diagnosed with a serious disease, it's completely normal to be in shock and to forget everything your doctor tells you during the consultation. An educational handout will come in very handy in this case. Once you've calmed down, you can read through the material to find out why you may have gotten the disease, what to expect and what your options are for treating it.
Education is key in cases of outbreaks of highly contagious diseases, such as meningitis, ebola or new flu viruses. When there is an outbreak in an area, the media often runs with the story but doesn't impart all the information you need. This leads to panic and misconceptions. However, with the correct facts you'll know what the risks are and what to do if you think you've contracted the disease, not only so that you can seek treatment but also so that you can prevent spreading the disease.
You'll also find the educational handouts very useful for all those things you've always wanted to know but were too afraid to ask. Some disease symptoms can be embarrassing and you may not want to discuss them with your doctor. However, reading about them in the privacy of your own home will help you make an informed decision about the seriousness of these symptoms. It can in fact save your life.
Most educational materials for patients are produced either by health councils or by pharmaceutical companies. They're normally written by experts in the field. With the cost of health care, you may be loathe to go to the doctor for every little complaint. However, if you have a collection of pamphlets and booklets to refer to, it will help you decide what to do when you do fall ill.
The handouts are there for you to take home. This is why they're compact and free. They're normally in English but you can often find translated versions too. Many, for instance, are available in Spanish as well. The aim of these materials is to explain the facts around certain conditions in a way that is accessible to people who don't have a medical background and don't understand medical jargon.
One of the best ways to deal with a medical condition is to not get it in the first place. Many ailments are the direct result of a poor lifestyle and are actually completely preventable. With certain lifestyle changes they can even be cured. This is why many educational materials deal with the basics of exercise and a healthy diet to prevent conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.
One of the most important developments in disease prevention has been vaccines. Most countries are now polio and smallpox free due to massive vaccination programs. You also need to have your child vaccinated against other communicable diseases, including measles and mumps. These diseases can have terrible consequences and not having your child vaccinated against them is irresponsible not only towards your family but towards the entire community. Pamphlets about vaccination will tell you more about how these vaccinations work and when to get them.
When you get diagnosed with a serious disease, it's completely normal to be in shock and to forget everything your doctor tells you during the consultation. An educational handout will come in very handy in this case. Once you've calmed down, you can read through the material to find out why you may have gotten the disease, what to expect and what your options are for treating it.
Education is key in cases of outbreaks of highly contagious diseases, such as meningitis, ebola or new flu viruses. When there is an outbreak in an area, the media often runs with the story but doesn't impart all the information you need. This leads to panic and misconceptions. However, with the correct facts you'll know what the risks are and what to do if you think you've contracted the disease, not only so that you can seek treatment but also so that you can prevent spreading the disease.
You'll also find the educational handouts very useful for all those things you've always wanted to know but were too afraid to ask. Some disease symptoms can be embarrassing and you may not want to discuss them with your doctor. However, reading about them in the privacy of your own home will help you make an informed decision about the seriousness of these symptoms. It can in fact save your life.
Most educational materials for patients are produced either by health councils or by pharmaceutical companies. They're normally written by experts in the field. With the cost of health care, you may be loathe to go to the doctor for every little complaint. However, if you have a collection of pamphlets and booklets to refer to, it will help you decide what to do when you do fall ill.
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