Date of Graduation

Fall 12-2020

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

Department/Program

Nursing

Program

Healthcare Systems Leadership DNP

First Advisor

Dr. Jo Loomis

Second Advisor

Dr. Elena Capella

Abstract

Abstract

Problem: In a western US Veterans Administration (VA) hospital system, patient education materials are provider-specific, not standardized, and not located in a central, readily available location.

Context: How does a patient education tool affect the clinicians' delivery of health education in increasing health literacy compared to written information alone in the US veteran population? An integrated literature review was performed using Cochrane, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), Scopus, CINAHL, and PubMed databases to address the PICOT question above and determine the impact of patient education tools on health literacy and patient engagement. The literature recommended improving patient education for better health outcomes. Individualizing care is one of the most commonly used approaches. The patient education delivery should be standardized but still individualized, per the patient's needs. The analysis of the integrated review of evidence uncovered promising results. Patients have the right to safe healthcare, but with this right comes the responsibility to educate themselves about their medical information. The change in providing health education in structured format could improve the patient’s understanding of the care they had in the hospital and their knowledge of the information they need to recover fully at home. Clinicians must have the proper training and knowledge to emphasize patient involvement throughout each step of patient education.

Interventions: Clinicians frequently used electronic charting Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) for entering patient-related orders and documentation. A linkage in CPRS to a web-based collaboration site, Microsoft SharePoint, was created to directly connect clinicians to the patient's education and VA resource information. These collected patient education materials came from VA-approved patient education sites and expert clinicians. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, some VA resources were halted and the resource information in SharePoint underwent several modifications with the corresponding program managers.

Measures: The pre-and post-implementation surveys compared the timeliness and the degree of difficulty in aggregating the health-related information.

Results: The creation of a SharePoint site improved clinicians' timely and easy access to evidence-based, systemwide, and clinician-driven patient education and resource information across the care continuum. The level of difficulty in aggregating patient education decreased with the use of the SharePoint site. Clinicians say it is easier to find information on diagnoses, medication, and resources on the SharePoint site.

Conclusions: The nursing implication in future research is warranted to determine the tangible impact of clinicians' roles in providing patient education and resource information—which, as this project showed, often evolved into the ever-changing healthcare system. Future research should include defining the quality of how clinicians provide this health-related information and how patients benefit from the information.

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