Introduction
Patient Education Essentials in Physiotherapy is an open-access textbook designed to equip physiotherapists and students with the essential knowledge and skills to cultivate confidence to educate patients effectively. Grounded in patient-centred care, this resource explores the theories and best practices underpinning effective education, including communication skills, assessing patients’ learning needs, and developing tailored educational materials.
This textbook integrates real-world case studies to illustrate common patient education challenges and solutions across physiotherapy settings. Video examples demonstrate key techniques, such as assessing educational needs, designing effective materials, and measuring learning outcomes using approaches such as teach-back.
Students will gain practical strategies to overcome common barriers in patient education, including patient, therapist, and system-level challenges. The textbook also highlights the role of technology, such as telehealth and digital tools, in enhancing patient education. By the end of this resource, students will be equipped to design and implement effective educational strategies that improve patient engagement, comprehension, and health outcomes.
How to use this book
Patient education is a core part of physiotherapy practice that helps people understand their condition, make informed decisions, and take an active role in their care. However, knowing what to say, how to say it, and how to ensure patients truly understand and apply information and skills can be challenging.
This book provides a practical, evidence-based guide to patient education in physiotherapy. It covers key communication strategies, how to assess patient learning needs, and how to design and deliver clear, engaging, and meaningful education. Real-world case examples and video demonstrations are included to bring these concepts to life.
What this book does not cover
While this book focuses on core patient education principles, it does not cover advanced approaches, such as behaviour change counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), or advanced pain neuroscience education. These more complex skills are beyond the scope of this resource. However, the foundational skills covered here, such as effective communication, assessing learning needs, and tailoring education to the patient, will help you build a strong starting point for effective patient education in physiotherapy practice.
