Evaluation of a nursing intervention project to promote patient medication education.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients' knowledge regarding their medication regime following a nursing interventional project in patient medication education.

DESIGN: Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Educating patients during their hospital stay regarding their medical treatment is an issue which the medical staff deals with on a daily basis. The hospitalisation period is a known critical point in the provision of influential information to the patient and related family members, probably because the hospitalised patient and family members have unique learning needs that cannot be postponed.

METHODS: The study was conducted in three internal medicine wards in a large university tertiary hospital in Jerusalem, Israel. The intervention project used structured written materials and verbal patient education related to highly potent drugs. The study evaluated patients' knowledge regarding their medication as the main interventional outcome. In addition, the rate of patients receiving verbal and written education, rate of patient intention to take the medication and adequacy of nursing interventions according to the patients' educational needs were also assessed. Data collection was carried out by a short structured tool that examined patient knowledge. With this tool, the nurse interviewed the patients and recorded the patient's response and her recommended intervention.

RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-one patients participated in the study. Most of the patients (71-93%) reported that they had received instructions from nurses. The majority of the patients demonstrated a high level of knowledge regarding their medications and planned on taking their medications on a regular basis. Lack of knowledge was observed mostly on issues related to dietary recommendations. In these cases, the nurses' intervention was not always documented and did not necessarily match the problem identified.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that patients, who received medication education, demonstrated satisfactory level of knowledge and intended to take their medication. Patients' knowledge feedback enables the nurse to assess her intervention.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Patient medication education in the hospital is a challenging task. This article suggests an applicable tool to assure that patients receive appropriate medication education, while assessing the effectiveness of this education. This tool also enables the nurses to modify their intervention according to patient response.