[Quality standards of educational activities for patients and families in a university hospital].
OBJECTIVE
To identify groups of patients receiving hospital-based educational programs, to determine whether the education was structured or ad hoc, and to analyse information on the structure, process and results of the programs.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional study using a translated and adapted version of the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education. Information was collected on structure (resources, availability of a written program and professional training), the process followed by the patient (baseline assessment, methodology, training courses, support materials and record of activities), patient outcomes (post-intervention assessment, tools, record of evaluation and results) and program results (number of patients/relatives included, regular assessment).


RESULTS
Patient groups receiving education were: patients with chronic diseases, patients with treatable psychiatric disorders and patients with oncological and haematological processes. Most educational activities involved informative activities and technical skills training, both on-demand and integrated in care activity. Structured therapeutic education programs were aimed at patients/relatives with: diabetes, obesity, musculoskeletal diseases, AIDS, splenectomy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension and urinary incontinence. Not all programs had written guidelines or defined parameters with respect to structure, process and results.


CONCLUSIONS
The application of quality standards to hospital educational programs is useful in detecting: patients receiving education and the quality, type and weaknesses of the programs studied. Software based on these standards may provide information on trends in patient education, identify opportunities for improvement and aid the evaluation of the impact of each educational activity on the quality indicators associated with each program.
Servicio de Medicina Preventiva y Epidemiolgía, Unidad de Evaluación, Soporte y Prevención (UASP), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. bertran@clinic.ub.es
M J
MJ
Bertran
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Jansà
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Santiñá
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Prat
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Trilla
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005192:Family Health; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012648:Self Care; D013030:Spain; D013664:Teaching Materials