The Assumption Dilemma and How Patient Education Is Delivered

Mike calls this the assumption dilemma: almost every physiotherapist teaches patients daily, yet very few are trained as teachers. Briggs, Carr and Whitaker found that less than 1% of physiotherapy training hours cover how to teach, and the journalist Judy Foreman describes a mismatch between what people in pain need and what clinicians know. The part compares delivery methods. One-to-one education is patient-centered but costly, and patients recall only 7% to 10% of information accurately a week later. Videos, booklets, TV campaigns, email and joint models each have trade-offs, so the method must suit the person. Mike asks patients to list what made sense and what did not after watching a video. The part proposes five skills that match what patients want: empathy, communication, facilitation that guides rather than tells, compassion, and big picture thinking. Good teaching skills shift effort so the patient works harder and the clinician less.