Therapeutic patient education in oncology: pedagogical notions for women's health and prevention.

ABSTRACT

Therapeutic patient education has been defined by the World Health Organization as a comprehensive approach to support patients and their families to better understanding of their diseases. In oncology, the contribution of therapeutic education may enable the patients to have adequate information of the illness, to actively participate in the management of the disease, to understand how to live with the illness, to learn how to face the critical moments of the clinical course, and to live in harmony with all health professionals. In addition, there may be several advantages for health professionals a reduction in emotional labour, increased professional satisfaction, and a reduction in the potential tensions and conflicts with patients and their relatives. We suggest that therapeutic patient education in oncology may be useful for both patients and health professionals and probably lead to a reduction in the costs of healthcare delivery.