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Learning Heart Disease Prevention: Doctors Can Help Patients Live Healthier Lives
Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most effective preventive measures against heart disease. However, many doctors don’t feel equipped with the right resources to participate in weight loss and heart disease patient education. In fact, a 2009 survey of 290 primary care physicians showed that 89 percent believe it is their responsibility to help overweight or obese patients lose weight. However, 72 percent of the doctors said that they and their staff have not been trained to deal with weight-related issues.
Whether you’re a physician in private practice, an emergency room nurse or another medical professional caring for patients who may be at risk for cardiac problems, learning effective heart disease patient education tactics is vital to prevention.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), studies have shown that even short conversations of three to five minutes with patients can contribute to behavior change. One study showed that obese patients who were advised by their physician to lose weight were three times more likely to try to do so. In addition, research shows that patients who are counseled in a primary care setting about the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity lose more weight and exercise more than patients who do not receive counseling.
Learning heart disease prevention: How to talk to patients
The NIDDK recommends physicians adhere to the following recommendations when addressing weight loss with their patients:
- Use non-offensive terms: Rather than referencing a patient’s “obesity” or “excess fat,” use the terms “weight” or “excess weight.” When in doubt, ask a patient what terms he or she prefers.
- Address health concerns first: Patients generally prefer when their weight is not identified as the source of all of their health problems. Try to address their health problems independent of weight when possible.
- Set goals: Realistic goals such as one to two pounds per week or a five to 10 percent reduction in body weight over six months will help patients stay motivated. So will ongoing encouragement and support from you.
- Prescribe healthy eating and active living: A wealth of information is available online to help people learn how to eat healthier foods and be more active. Unfortunately, this overabundance of information can also be overwhelming. Give patients concrete, straightforward tasks to fulfill. When in doubt, consider referring him or her to a weight loss program or registered dietitian.
Heart disease patient education: When you’re not a primary care physician
You don’t need to be a primary care physician to educate patients about heart disease prevention. Medical professionals who care for patients that have already undergone a cardiac event play a valuable role in the prevention of future heart problems. In fact, one 2005 study found that adding a one-hour, nurse educator–delivered teaching session to chronic heart failure patients at the time of hospital discharge significantly improved clinical outcomes and patient adherence to self-care.
Whether you’re a seasoned healthcare professional, or you’re new to the field and just completing your ACLS training, dedication to patient education will help to ensure that your patients are committed to heart disease prevention.
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