Patient Education Materials: Where to Find Them

The October issue of Nutrition in Clinical Practice is devoted to the topic of nutrition education, with several articles focused specifically on home enteral and/or parenteral nutrition (HPEN). One article we are particularly excited about is the directory of home nutrition support patient education materials compiled by Oley staff member Lisa Metzger, “Education Materials for Home Nutrition Support Consumers.”

“Patient education plays a pivotal role in promoting positive patient outcomes and ensuring patient safety within the healthcare environment,” say Heather Gifford, BS, RD, CDN, CNSD, Mark DeLegge, MD, and Lou Anne Epperson, RN, MSN. “As the complexity of homecare increases and more is demanded of patients with regards to their healthcare needs, the role of patient education becomes ever more important,” they continue (NCP, Oct 2010, 443).

A directory of HPEN patient education materials was published in the 1990s, but it hadn’t been updated in years. This new directory, compiled with the help of many consumers and clinicians who responded to a request for material, consists of eight tables. Resources are listed in tables that give the name and type of material (for example, handout, booklet, or DVD), the reading level, and how the material can be obtained. There are separate tables for adult PN, pediatric PN, adult EN, and pediatric EN, as well as a table of resources available in Spanish and one for general HPEN resources (for ex., a booklet on coping issues).

We tried to gather materials on all topics that could be useful to the HPEN consumer, from the basic (for ex., how to dispose of sharps) to the specific (for ex., care of an implanted port or a PEG tube). Materials related to coping and psychosocial issues are also listed.

It is our hope that this directory will be used widely to increase HPEN consumers’ access to education materials.

If you would like a copy of the directory, or you know of any materials that should be added, please contact Lisa Metzger at metzgel@mail.amc.edu or (800) 776-6539. Our thanks to all consumers and clinicians who steered us toward resources.

LifelineLetter, Nov/Dec 2010