Patient education in hypertension: five essential steps.

Greater medical education of patients requires individualized strategies with improved efficacy and effectiveness. We present a model for interactive patient education that has grown from our clinical work with patients who have multiple cardiovascular risk factors. The model distinguishes five stages in the process of a patient's health behavioural change (awareness, intention, trial, implementation and maintenance), and it links each stage with one of five different types of educational intervention (information exchange, negotiating readiness to change, building instrumental skills, developing coping behaviour and enhancing social support). The model provides the framework for a structured approach to more useful and efficient patient education which defines specific tasks and skills to be taught, learned and practised in a systematic and consistent manner.