Improving Patient and Caregiver New Medication Education Using an Innovative Teach-back Toolkit

BACKGROUND Patients and caregivers are often not adequately informed about new medications. Nurses can lead innovations that improve new medication education. LOCAL PROBLEM Healthcare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores on medication questions trailed state and national levels in one Midwestern hospital. METHODS This quality improvement project, guided by the Ottawa Model of Research Use and the Always Use Teach-back! innovative toolkit, used a 1-group pre- and posteducation design with RNs, patients, and caregivers. INTERVENTION RNs (n = 25) were observed in patient/caregiver education and surveyed in confidence/con-viction in the teach-back method before and after education. Patients' (n = 74) and caregivers' (n = 33) knowledge was assessed. RESULTS RNs reported significant increases in conviction in the importance of (P < .0001), confidence in using (P < .0001), and frequency in using (P < .0001) teach-back. With teach-back, both patients and caregivers recalled the purpose and side effects of new medications. Specific HCAHPS scores increased from 6% to 10%. CONCLUSION The teach-back method strengthened safe nursing practice and enhanced quality in new medication education.