title: Evaluation of patient education programs.
abstract: Patient education is a vital component of comprehensive quality care for patients with chronic disease. Rarely is patient instruction evaluated, however, in terms of its effectiveness and efficiency. This article presents a rationale for evaluation of patient education and lists several benefits of evaluation to the clinician. A model for evaluation and evaluation activities is described for both the process of developing a patient education program and evaluating its results. Application of this model and examples of the use of evaluation activities are demonstrated in a "real world" experience. The description of a formal patient education program for rheumatoid arthritis patients in a general hospital setting illustrates the usefulness of evaluation in developing and carrying out effective patient education.
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010353:Patient Education as Topic