Τhe need of providing information to hospitalized patients

Spyridoula Stefanidou, Georgia Gerogianni

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Publication year:

2012

Authors:

• Stefanidou Spyridoula, Nursing Department A, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Greece Nursing Department A, TEI, Athens, Greece
• Gerogianni Georgia, Nursing Department A, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Greece Nursing Department A, TEI, Athens, Greece

Keywords index:

• effective information
• patients
• type of information

Pages: 15-23

Abstract:

During recent decades, there is increasing recognition of the importance of providing information to patients that is related with many beneficial effects regarding diagnosis and the outcome of the disease.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to review the literature about the provision of information to hospitalized patients.

Method and material:   The methodoly followed included research from both the review and the research literature of Greek and international bibliography which referred to provision of information to hospitalized patients using key-words. The research covered the period from 1996 to 2011.

Results: Effective information prerequisites basic principles, of which the most important are the source of information, communication, the proper environment of providing information including time and place and the involvement of family. Patients seek  information related not only to their illness,  treatment and complication or to the side effects of medication but also for other more practical problems associated with everyday activities. Verbal information and instructions are significantly less effective than written/printed information because often patients quickly forget what is said to them.  It is widely accepted that providing information to the supportive environment, mainly to  the family is related with beneficial effects. Special focus is needed for the elderly of individuals of different culture. People who fail to understand the information provided should be recognized by health professionals and being taken care after hospital discharge.