Modern medicine faces the challenge of an increasing burden of chronic diseases. In response, it must develop and implement effective strategies to support patients in the daily management of their health. Chronic diseases — such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease or COPD — require patients to be involved in long-term care. This is often associated with regular medication, lifestyle changes, and health monitoring. In this situation, patient education has become a key element of the therapeutic strategy. It helps to achieve better health outcomes and relieves the burden on the health care system.

In this article, you will learn about proven ways to effectively educate patients with chronic diseases that you can incorporate into your daily medical practice.

Why is patient education in chronic disease crucial?

Educating patients about their medical conditions leads to a deeper understanding of the disease, which in turn increases commitment to treatment. The benefits of patient education include:

• Increasing adherence to medical recommendations — patients who are aware of their disease and therapy are up to 50-70% more likely to take medication regularly and to use preventive measures [4].

• Better management of the disease on a daily basis — patients with diabetes who understand the relationship between diet, physical activity and sugar levels are more effective in controlling their disease, which reduces the number of hospitalizations [1].

• Improving the quality of life — a conscious patient makes healthier decisions, which positively affects his well-being and comfort of life.

Methods of effective patient education

1. Regular microinteractions with the patient

Constant contact between doctor and patient is a key element of effective education. Short, regular interactions allow patients to get answers to questions and help when in doubt about treatment.

Such learning interactions (e.g. every week or two) are more effective than less frequent meetings, e.g. once every 3 months, and allow you to:

• building habits in small steps (frequent education promotes the consolidation of knowledge and the formation of correct health habits [7]),
• faster response to questions or doubts of the patient,
• greater involvement and motivation of the patient through a sense of support.

Tools such as medical communicator Doctor.One, enable direct and effective communication between doctor and patient and are widely used for education.

2. Use of educational materials

Modern patients have easy access to reliable information through mobile applications and websites. They are happy to use digital learning materials that they can assimilate at a convenient time and in a more engaging way. How can you use these tools effectively?

• Recommend proven sources of information, such as websites of health organizations, mobile applications or medical podcasts.
• Create your own educational materials, using easy-to-use tools such as:
  • Canva — to create infographics, posters or brochures;
  • Commi — for recording short instructional videos;
• Automate the process of sharing materialsby integrating them with telemedicine platforms or systems to remind patients of new content.

Such activities do not require large expenditures of time, and the patient receives access to valuable educational materials.

3. Follow-up visits focused on education

The follow-up visits provide an opportunity to combine the assessment of the patient's health with educational activities. Studies show that patients who regularly attend education-focused follow-up visits are more likely to follow medical recommendations and achieve better health outcomes [8].

Why is education during check-ups effective?

1. Increases patient motivation
2. Follow-up visits allow the patient to discuss their progress and difficulties, which reinforces their sense of responsibility for the treatment process. Patients who feel supported by their doctors have 40% higher adherence rates [4].
3. It gives you the opportunity to learn by experience
4. During the visits, short demonstrations can be carried out, for example:
5. • how to use the glucometer correctly,
   • how to interpret blood pressure results.
   • how to plan meals for certain conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension.
6. Learning through practice increases the effectiveness of memorization: patients remember up to 75% of information when it is presented in the form of practical actions [8].

Educational visits as an investment of time

While doctors often face time constraints, taking a few minutes to educate during a follow-up visit has significant, long-term benefits. Patients who have a better understanding of their medical conditions are less likely to need additional explanations in the future, which translates into fewer visits due to treatment errors. Studies confirm the effectiveness of this approach — 45-minute educational sessions have been shown to reduce the number of hospitalizations by as much as 28% among patients with chronic diseases [7].

Benefits for doctors and the healthcare system

1. Reducing the number of hospitalizations and complications

With education, patients are better able to follow medical recommendations and are more aware of the signals that may indicate a deterioration in health. This translates into fewer emergency interventions, complications and hospitalizations, which represents significant savings both for the healthcare system and for the patients themselves [7].

2. Improving the efficiency of doctors' work

A well-educated patient, aware of his health needs and the course of treatment, shows greater independence and organization. Such patients are less likely to need frequent check-ups or additional explanations, which allows doctors to manage their time and resources more efficiently. In addition, thanks to regular contact, doctors have an up-to-date picture of the patient's health, which facilitates a quick response to potential changes [1].

3. Long-term savings for the health care system

Investments in patient education help reduce the costs associated with treating complications and re-hospitalizations. Studies show that patient education can reduce drug misuse expenses by up to 20% [7]. From the perspective of the health system, this is a significant benefit, translating into increased efficiency of the entire system [7].

Tools and tips for doctors on a daily basis

In everyday practice, doctors can effectively implement patient education, adjusting it to their time capabilities:

• Utilize technology Medical messengers such as Doctor.One provide quick contact with patients and facilitate the sharing of educational materials.
• Create simple learning materials Spend 15-20 minutes a week creating an infographic or short recording for patients.
• Automate reminders — Set up an SMS or email system to remind patients about appointments, medications, and available educational materials.

summary

Education of patients with chronic diseases is a key element of modern medicine. It improves health outcomes, reduces the burden on the health care system and increases the efficiency of physicians' work. By investing time in patient education, physicians can achieve better therapeutic outcomes while building stronger relationships with patients — based on trust and collaboration. We encourage all professionals to implement educational elements as a standard of care for patients with chronic diseases. The benefits for patients, doctors and the entire system are worth it.

1. Study finds 45 minutes of patient education improves chronic disease management, https://osteopathic.org/2018/11/19/study-finds-45-minutes-of-patient-education-improves-chronic-disease-management/
2. BMC Fam Pract 19, 163 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-018-0847-x
3. Rochfort A., Beirne S., Doran G., (2018), How can self-management and patient education bring empowerment?, [W:] British Journal of Nursing, https://www.britishjournalofnursing.com/content/regulars/how-can-self-management-and-patient-education-bring-empowerment
   1. Poureslami I., Nimmon L., Rootman I., Fitzgerald M. J., Health literacy and chronic disease management: drawing from expert knowledge to set an agenda, [W:] Health Promotion International, Volume 32, Issue 4, August 2017, Pages 743–754, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daw003
4. Rochfort A., Beirne S., Doran G.,  i inni, (2021), Does education of primary care professionals promote patient self-management? A systematic review, [W:] **BJGP Open, https://bjgpopen.org/content/5/3/BJGPO.2020.0186
5. Lorig R. K., Holman H. R., (2023), Helping patients help themselves: A systematic review of self-management support strategies in primary health care practice, [W:] PLOS ONE, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0220116
6. American Hospital Association, (2020), Uncompensated Hospital Care Cost Fact Sheet, https://www.ahe.org/system/files/media/file/2020/01/2020-Uncompensated-Care-Fact-Sheet.pdf
7. Janowska-Polańska B., Uchmanowicz I., (2016), Stosowanie się do zaleceń terapeutycznych w niewydolności serca, [W:] Choroby Serca i Naczyń, Tom 13, Nr 3, https://journals.viamedica.pl/choroby_serca_i_naczyn/article/view/41035/37760

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