– PART 3 –

Make it easy for someone to understand and participate

Use plain language and avoid jargon
(Keep it Simple for Safety – KISS).
Slow down.
Use open-ended questions. Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Use a structured approach for checking understanding

Provide information in small doses and check understanding after each section (Chunk and Check).
Emphasise that the responsibility to explain clearly is on you, the healthcare worker.
Ask your client to explain back using their own words, or to demonstrate “what to do, how to do it”.
If their effort to teach-back shows they have not understood, explain again and re-check their understanding.

Use a client-centred approach

Check your client’s current understanding. Don’t assume prior knowledge.
Find out how they like to learn. Adapt your teaching to meet their learning style.
Used a strengths-based approach. What do they already do well to manage their health?
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) clients may need additional support.

Use standard ‘good’ communication principles, such as:

Introduce yourself and your role.
Use support resources such as interpreters, diagrams and teaching aids to help with learning.
Consider the impact of your words, body language and tone, especially when delivering sensitive information.
Document that you have used teach-back in your client’s health records AND how you addressed any misunderstandings.

Click on each statement and use your mouse to drag and drop it as demonstrated here on either the ‘TRUE’ or ‘FALSE’ options.

After each selection use the ‘NEXT’ button that appears at the bottom to move ahead to the next statement.

Teach-back is:

Asking people to explain in their own words what they need to know or do

A way of testing people

An evidence-based approach to improving client-provider communication and client health outcomes

A way of helping people to put information into action

It is important people explain in their own words as this allows you to check their understanding.
Therefore this statement is:

Teach-back is an indication of how well you communicated the information, not a "test" of the person.
Therefore this statement is:

Yes, the research tells us that teach-back has a positive impact on how well people manage their health.
Therefore this statement is:

Teach-back helps people to understand in concrete terms what they need to do.
Therefore this statement is: