- In giving advice, use concrete instructions. "Use ear plugs when you use your power tools" is more effective thank "Keep noise exposure to a minimum."
- Use easy-to-understand language, with short words and sentences.
- Present the most important information first (the primacy effect). Often the most important information is a recommendation such as "make an appointment with the ear doctor."
- Stress the importance of recommendations or other information that you want the patient to remember.
- Use the method of explicit categorization. Tell the patient "We are going to go over recommendations, then we will talk about how your hearing problem (diagnosis), then we will go over test results, then we will talk about how your hearing may change in the future (prognosis)." Ask for questions before moving on to the next category.
- Repeat the most important information.
- Don't present too much information. Present only what the patient needs to remember.
- Be sure you understand what patients want from the evaluation and what their beliefs are concerning the problem. Specifically address the patient's desires and beliefs.
- Supplement verbal information with written, graphical, and pictorial materials that the patient can take home.
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