Teaching in medicine: 3 physicians share their best tips for patient education

Teaching is something that is in my blood. My grandfather, father and brother have all dedicated their lives to education. When the opportunity to make my own mark on the next generation came, I couldn’t say no. During my gap year before my medical education started, I accepted the title of Mr. Slade and taught seventh-grade science. This experience helped me to better understand the role that learning and education play in everyday life.

I am now in my third year of medical school and already I have seen firsthand how teaching remains one of the most meaningful skills a physician can have. For this article, I have interviewed a few physicians whom I have met through my school and clinical rotations. Each has helped me in my journey of becoming someone who focuses on patient understanding. I saw in them a desire to educate and teach. With their guidance, I have come up with four principles to help medical students and physicians become better teachers:

1. Individualize the encounter
2. Establish team roles
3. Use different tools
4. Stay humble and keep trying

Below, my mentors share their insights on these principles and I discuss how I’ve applied them in my clinical rotations.

Individualize the encounter

Maurice Blodgett, DO, associate dean of education at Des Moines University, stresses the importance of “meeting the patient where they are.” He reminded me that each patient is unique and comes from a different background, family, training and education. While on my family medicine rotation, I remember going from a four-month-old baby boy to a 96-year-old great-great-grandmother in a matter of minutes. Dr. Blodgett provided some clarification on how to meet patients where they are.

“Try to establish a connection outside of medicine and find a commonality,” he suggested. With this recommendation, I have set a goal to ask each patient two non-medical questions before addressing their concerns. While I am not always able to do this, I have found that if I can find common ground with a patient early, communication is exponentially easier moving forward.

Establish team roles

Establishing roles in this unique relationship is an important part of patient education. During my urology rotation, I asked Matthew Ferroni, MD, if he had any tips for teaching. Because many of his patients are referred to him by other physicians, he often spends time explaining his specialty and his role in their care so patients understand how he fits into their treatment plan.

Equally important is helping patients understand their own role. Joel Vander Meide, DO, a family physician in Iowa, shared his thoughts on the subject.

“You need to make them part of the plan and help them see the benefit of it,” he said. When asked how to do this, he explained that it may be as simple as asking how a patient plans to be compliant with their medication. Will they use a pill planner, pill pack or another way? Regardless, let the patient take control and decide. When possible, ask the patients which treatment option works best given their current lifestyle.

Dr. Blodgett shared similar thoughts on the subject. He said that “actively involving a patient gives them a sense of importance.” One of the most important things a physician can do is help a patient see that they are a vital member of the team.

Use different tools

While there are many different learning styles, the VARK Model uses four main categories: Visual, Aural, Reading/writing and Kinesthetics. Florida State University provided a comprehensive overview of these learning styles as well as several examples of their applications. Visual learners may appreciate graphs, charts, pictures or drawings. If choosing to draw, make sure to sit right next to your patient. I once watched a physician sketch a beautiful anatomical picture at a 90-degree-angle from the patient. Imagine if your medical school or CME lectures were all flipped 90+ degrees. It would not make for an easy learning experience.

Auditory learners may learn best from step-by-step instructions, videos, podcasts or certain techniques like the “teach-back method.” This is where the physician asks the patients to summarize previous information in their own words to be certain of their understanding. Reading/writing learners are partial to pamphlets, written instructions or printouts. Although many pamphlets appear to have been made ages ago, the information inside can still be valuable to these learners.

Kinesthetic learning can be difficult in medicine, but it is still possible to provide quality education. Do not be afraid to use props, models or the actual device/dispenser, as hands-on learning can be extremely effective. One thing to keep in mind is that you will likely not know the learning style of your patient, which is why it is important to use multiple approaches if it appears that your patient is having difficulty understanding.

Stay humble and keep trying

I asked Dr. Blodgett for advice on what a physician can do if they find that a patient did not understand what was being taught. He suggested that you ask yourself several questions:

• What is preventing them from understanding?
• Do they need a different learning style?
• Are there any mental, language or emotional barriers to understanding?

Self-reflection can be difficult, but it will produce better teachers and physicians.

“Stay humble—you can’t take it personally if the patient doesn’t understand. You may need to learn from your mistakes and move on.” said Dr. Blodgett. By being curious and persistent, physicians can recognize when they may need to approach a situation from a different angle.

Diving deeper

It is my experience that the further we go in our education pathway, the less our instructors are teaching for understanding. In kindergarten through high school, teachers focus greatly on making sure their students understand the material. As one transitions to undergraduate and then graduate school, the primary responsibility of comprehending a topic often shifts to the individual learner. Yes, medical school teachers care about their students and want them to succeed, but I think most professors would agree that it is the student’s responsibility to grasp the concepts. Learning this way can make it easy for a medical student to adopt this way of teaching.

There are many scenarios where this form of education is efficient, but it is my opinion that the clinic or hospital room is not one of them. As clinicians, we must make a strong effort to help patients understand what we are teaching them.

Related reading:

Diagnosing the learner: Tips for teaching struggling medical trainees

Essential apps for healthcare professionals: Streamlining care, education and wellness