A couple of weeks ago our class was fortunate enough to be visited by Dr. Michelle Hogue from the University of Lethbridge. She spoke to our class about the work that she has done on utilizing alternative teaching styles particularly in a classroom setting with aboriginal students. In brief Dr. Michelle Hogue has taken on a more hands on approach with her students by creating activities which incorporate acting and story-telling into her lessons. She began her project with high-school students and has adopted it in her university chemistry classes by having her students attend chemistry labs first before going to chemistry class for the theory. By doing this she has found her students had a greater understanding of the concepts and theory. You can find more information in Kaleigh Travis’s post.
What I want to get at is that as health care providers we do teach the clients and patients we see many things. For example, when a person is first diagnosed with diabetes they need a lot of education such as:
- What is diabetes
- How does it impact health
- How to tell if blood sugar is in normal range
- How to check blood sugar and use the device
- Physical signs and symptoms of low blood sugar and high blood sugar
- Careful foot care and how to assess feet
- How to use insulin (as insulin can be administered via. Pump, needle and syringe, insulin) plus dosage to use and when to use it or how to take diabetic medications such as metformin and glimepiride plus how they work
- Recommended dietary and physical activity changes
And the list could go on. There is a lot to learn when a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness and the information can be overwhelming especially since the individual may be feeling particularly vulnerable at this time. Finding out that you have a chronic illness such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, cancer and others can be very distressing for the individual and causes a great deal of grief not only for themselves but their loved ones. Chronic illness often requires lifestyle changes to manage effectively and the incorporation of new tasks into a person’s daily routine.
Pamphlets can provide a lot of information BUT only if a person can read them and understand their message.
According to Employment and Social Development Canada in 2012:
“About 51.5% of Canadians aged 16 to 65 had literacy scores at Level 3 or above in 2012.”
“For all regions where Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal literacy levels were compared in 2012, the proportion of Aboriginal people with literacy scores at or above Level 3 was consistently lower than the proportion for non-Aboriginal people.”
The Literacy Level System
| Level 1—Very poor literacy skills An individual at this level may, for example, be unable to determine from a package label the correct amount of medicine to give a child. |
| Level 2—A capacity to deal only with simple, clear material involving uncomplicated tasks People at this level may develop everyday coping skills, but their poor literacy skills make it hard to conquer challenges such as learning new job skills. |
| Level 3—Adequate to cope with the demands of everyday life and work in an advanced society This roughly denotes the skill level required for successful high school completion and college entry. |
| Levels 4 and 5 —Strong skills. Individuals at these levels can process information of a complex and demanding nature. |
(From the Canadian Council on Learning)
Depending on the patient’s learning style, it may be beneficial to incorporate the idea of showing first and then telling the information. In the example of diabetes, it may be that the patient needs a demonstration of assessing blood glucose levels and having the opportunity to assess their own blood glucose level before being told how to do it and why they need to do it. Also, don’t forget that the patient and their family will likely be going through many different emotions once the patient is diagnosed with a chronic illness.
I don’t quite recall the exact quote but at the beginning of the semester I have heard something along the lines of: “You will only remember what you are ready to hear”
As health care professionals we mustn’t get upset or frustrated to have to repeat the same information to the patient and family time and time again. With each teaching the patient and family will take something new away from the teaching.
Two-Eyed Seeing for Health 