– PART 2 –

The teach-back process in detail

Sections 7 to 13 describe the steps of teach-back in detail, including techniques and resources to support its use.

Simply put, the process of teach-back is:

Let’s show this in a diagram.

There are five steps in the teach-back process.
If the person doesn’t demonstrate understanding after three cycles, you will need to change your approach.
We’ll talk about some strategies for doing this later in this module.

Decide which of the following are one of the five steps in the teach-back process.

Click on each potential step and use your mouse to drag and drop it as shown here on either the ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ options.

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

01

Explain: Use simple terms to explain or demonstrate

Get someone to repeat back to you word for word what you just said

If they get it wrong, say exactly the same thing again

Clarify: Identify and re-explain any misunderstandings

Ask the person if they understand what you’ve just told them

Close the loop: Once all misunderstandings are clarified, ask the person to repeat everything back to you in their own words

Teach-back involves using plain language. Remember to KISS – Keep it Simple for Safety. Is this one of the five key steps of teach-back?
The answer is:

Teach-back is not a memory test but rather a way of checking someone’s understanding. Inviting people to use their own words is a better way of checking if someone has understood.
Is this one of the five key steps of teach-back?
The answer is:

If someone doesn’t understand then it is best to try something different. We will give you a learning styles tool a bit later on. You can use it to find out how someone likes to learn. It will help you identify other ways you can use to teach. Is this one of the five key steps of teach-back? The answer is:

This is an essential step in teach-back. You may need to do this several times, making sure you check understanding each time.
Is this one of the five key steps of teach-back?
The answer is:

Using closed questions that require a 'yes' or 'no' response doesn't check understanding.
Is this one of the five key steps of teach-back?
The answer is:

This helps people to remember everything in sequence. Ask them to tell you from the beginning again.
Is this one of the five key steps of teach-back?
The answer is:

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Before using teach-back, check ‘baseline’ understanding

Before you start using teach-back to explain something, it’s a good idea to find out your client’s ‘baseline’ understanding. You may be teaching information that they already know well, or you may be assuming that they have more ‘baseline’ knowledge than they actually do. For example, do they understand your role in their care?

What is a good way of finding out someone’s current ‘baseline’ understanding?

You can choose more than one. A. “Could you tell me your understanding of why you’ve come to see me today?” B. “Have you been having any problems with managing your medications lately?” C. “Could you show me what you do? D. Check test results to see if they show a decline in health E. Has anyone been through this with you before….can you tell me what sort of things they talked about? F. All of the above

A, C & E are correct.

B is a yes/no answer and doesn’t check understanding.
D – There could be other reasons for a decline in health.
Therefore F is also incorrect.

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