What is the purpose of patient education materials?

September 29, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Center for Health Care Strategies, approximately 36% of Americans struggle with low health literacy, highlighting a critical need for accessible information. High-quality patient education materials directly address this issue, providing people with the tools to better understand and manage their health.

Quick Summary

Patient education materials serve to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary for informed decision-making, improved health outcomes, and better self-management of conditions. They function as a bridge between complex medical information and patient understanding, fostering engagement and enhancing the overall quality of care.

Key Points

Enhances health literacy: Patient education materials make complex medical information accessible and understandable for everyone.
Empowers informed decisions: By providing clear information, PEMs allow patients to actively participate in their healthcare choices.
Improves treatment adherence: Patients who understand their treatment plans are more likely to follow them correctly, leading to better outcomes.
Reduces healthcare costs: Effective patient education helps lower preventable emergency visits and hospital readmission rates.
Supports family and caregivers: Materials can be shared and referenced by a patient's support network, ensuring consistent care.
Aids chronic disease management: For long-term conditions, PEMs are crucial for self-management, prevention, and sustained wellness.
Fosters trust: Providing clear, empathetic education strengthens the patient-provider relationship and builds confidence.

The Core Objective: Improving Health Literacy

Patient education materials (PEMs) are fundamentally designed to improve health literacy, which is a person's ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. For healthcare providers, creating and distributing effective PEMs means equipping their patients with the resources needed to navigate the healthcare system confidently. This includes everything from understanding a new diagnosis to properly taking medication and managing a chronic condition. By addressing potential knowledge gaps, PEMs ensure that patients are not left in the dark about their own care.

Empowering Patients for Better Decisions

Empowerment is a key purpose of patient education. When individuals receive clear, accessible, and comprehensive information, they are better able to participate in their own care. This shift toward a more collaborative, patient-centered approach to healthcare leads to more confident and engaged patients. They can ask better questions, evaluate their treatment options, and make choices that align with their personal values and lifestyle. This not only improves patient satisfaction but also strengthens the patient-provider relationship, building trust and open communication.

Enhancing Treatment Adherence and Outcomes

One of the most immediate and measurable benefits of PEMs is their impact on treatment adherence. Studies show that patients who understand the purpose of their medication or the details of their therapy are more motivated to follow through consistently. In contrast, a lack of understanding can lead to confusion, incorrect usage, or a failure to comply, which can have significant negative consequences. By providing clear, jargon-free instructions and explanations, PEMs increase the likelihood of positive health outcomes, reduce complications, and minimize preventable hospital readmissions.

Broadening the Scope: Beyond the Patient

While the name implies a focus on the patient, these materials also serve a broader audience, including family members and caregivers. This is especially crucial for individuals managing complex or chronic diseases, where family support plays a vital role. PEMs provide a reliable, consistent source of information that can be reviewed at home, shared with loved ones, and referred to whenever needed. This accessibility ensures that the patient's support network is also well-informed, leading to more coordinated and effective care.

Practical Applications and Formats

Patient education materials can take many forms, from simple handouts and brochures to detailed videos and interactive online portals. The most effective approach often involves a mix of modalities to cater to different learning preferences and literacy levels.

Handouts and Pamphlets: Great for a quick reference during or after an appointment.
Videos: Excellent for explaining complex procedures or demonstrations, like how to use an inhaler.
Digital Portals: Offer a personalized, secure space for accessing health records, lab results, and educational resources.
Anatomical Models: Provide a tactile and visual way to explain a condition or procedure.
Websites and Blogs: A resource for self-education, covering general health topics and specific conditions.

The Role in Chronic Disease Management

For individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease, ongoing education is essential for long-term health. PEMs help patients understand the nature of their illness, monitor their symptoms, and make necessary lifestyle adjustments. Consistent access to this information helps shift care toward prevention and self-management, rather than just reactive crisis management. For example, a patient with hypertension can use a PEM that includes a blood pressure log and dietary guidance, empowering them to take an active role in their daily management.

Comparison of Patient Education Material Types


Feature	Handouts / Brochures	Online Portals / Websites	Videos / Multimedia	Teach-Back Method
Accessibility	Highly accessible, can be printed in multiple languages.	Requires internet access and digital literacy.	Requires internet/device, good for visual learners.	Requires active, in-person communication.
Information Depth	Limited; best for quick, key points.	Extensive; can link to a variety of detailed resources.	Can explain complex concepts clearly and concisely.	Confirms understanding of verbal communication.
Recall/Retention	Can be easily forgotten if not reviewed; low retention rate.	Can be reviewed at any time, promoting long-term retention.	High retention for visual and auditory learners; replayable.	Immediate confirmation of understanding.
Engagement Level	Passive; requires patient to read.	Interactive elements can boost engagement.	High engagement due to visual and audio content.	High engagement; creates a dialogue and builds trust.
Update Frequency	Requires reprinting for updates.	Easy to update and disseminate new information instantly.	Videos can be updated, but often require re-filming.	On-the-fly, real-time updates from provider.

The Impact on Healthcare Costs

Effective patient education also has a ripple effect on the healthcare system. By reducing patient anxiety, improving adherence, and lowering readmission rates, PEMs contribute to more efficient use of healthcare resources and can lead to significant cost savings. When patients are well-informed and engaged in their care, they are less likely to require emergency care for preventable complications. This is beneficial for both the patient and the healthcare system as a whole, aligning with the shift toward value-based care models.

Conclusion: A Cornerstone of Quality Care

In essence, the purpose of patient education materials is to serve as a vital, multifaceted tool for improving health outcomes and empowering individuals. They bridge communication gaps, increase health literacy, and build trust between patients and providers. By offering clear, consistent, and accessible information, PEMs support everything from simple medication adherence to complex chronic disease management. Their function is not merely to inform, but to transform the patient's role from a passive recipient of care to an active participant, ultimately leading to a healthier, more engaged patient population. An excellent example of a resource providing clear and vetted health information is the MedlinePlus website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Patient education materials are any resources designed to help patients understand and manage their health. This can include brochures, videos, online portals, handouts, and other tools that explain medical conditions, treatments, and healthy lifestyle choices.

By providing understandable information, PEMs empower patients to take an active role in their care. This leads to better adherence to treatment plans, more informed decisions, and improved self-management of conditions, all of which contribute to better health outcomes.

No, they also benefit family members and caregivers. The materials provide consistent and reliable information that can be shared, ensuring that a patient's entire support system is well-informed and on the same page regarding care.

Providers can assess effectiveness by monitoring patient engagement metrics, using the "teach-back" method to confirm understanding, tracking patient anxiety levels, and observing rates of treatment adherence and hospital readmissions.

Yes, they are particularly important for managing chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension. They provide the ongoing information needed for self-management, monitoring symptoms, and making consistent lifestyle adjustments.

Using plain, jargon-free language is critical for improving health literacy. It ensures that patients of all educational backgrounds can understand the information, which reduces confusion and empowers them to make better health decisions.

Best practices include using plain language, incorporating visuals, focusing on a few key takeaways, using a conversational tone, and making the materials easily accessible in both digital and print formats. It is also important to consider a patient's cultural and literacy needs.