Patientutbildning enligt Akermetoden - Västra Götalandsregionen

Abstract
Introduction: Educational interventions to help patients with chronic diseases to handle
their situation have, according to the SBU (Swedish Counsil on health technology
Assessment), been going on in Sweden since the 1990’s. Generally speaking too few
scientific studies on this topic have been undertaken to draw conclusions about costeffectiveness
and to obtain results from the patients’ perspectives. The principles of the Aker
method have been developed at the University Hospital of Aker in Norway. The term “
helsepedagogikk”, health teaching, in this context implies opportunities for patients to learn
more about their diseases through cooperation between healthcare professionals, the patients
themselves and “erfarne brukere”, persons with experiences of receiving care. The Aker
method involves an active learning process based on the patients’ own questions and
experiences. The aim of the pedagogics is to induce informed choices and power to handle the
life situation.
Aim: The purpose of this study is to describe participants` experiences in the learning
process, the Aker method.
Method: The design of the study is empirically qualitative with a descriptive
phenomenological approach. To answer the purpose data was collected via focus group
interviews and individual in-depth interviews with participants who completed patient
education during 2009-2010. The total number of interviewees was 16 comprising patients
suffering from either stroke, heart-disease or kidney-insufficiency, all of which are chronic
diagnoses.
Conclusion: The essence of the experience is the importance of meeting other people in a
similar situation and the shared knowledge exchange in the groups. The bottom line for the
participants is to listen to others and to attain a broader perspective on their disease. The
dynamic cooperation and the solidarity in the group is another important factor for the
participants. Within the subject of patient education and medical education there are many
unexplored areas. There is a need of further knowledge towards more patient-centered care
where patients’ knowledge and experience are valued to a wider extent. This study can be
seen as a pilot study for a phenomenological study in which data are analyzed according to
Giorgi’s human scientific psychological method.
Keywords: patient education, chronic disease, qualitative research, teaching methods,
phenomenology, medical pedagogics