Take Control Of Your Health With Patient Education Handouts

By Patty Goff


You often see them at the health clinic or in the waiting room at your doctor's. They're those little booklets or pamphlets that you turn to when you've read all the interesting magazines. However, with patient education handouts you not only can pass the time but also learn how to take control of your health.

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.

Another aspect of disease prevention is getting vaccinated against certain serious diseases. These include measles, which can have consequences such as deafness and which can even kill people. It's because of vaccines that diseases such as smallpox have been eradicated but in recent years, many people have become worried about the possible side effects of getting their children vaccinated. Education pamphlets help to sort out fact from fiction and will also tell you how, when and why your children should be vaccinated.

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.

Sometimes there is an outbreak of a serious disease, for example bird flu or ebola. When this happens, there is a lot of misinformation about the disease and people often panic. However, spreading the correct information can allay fears, help people understand which symptoms to look out for and what they should do if they contract the disease. In this way, the outbreak can be tamed.

Some of the most useful patient educational materials are those that are about conditions that you may feel embarrassed about. If you find, for instance, that there is blood when you've been to the bathroom, you may not want to discuss this with your doctor. Sometimes it can be a serious condition and if you can read up about it first, you'll know when to swallow your pride and tell your doctor about your symptoms.

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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