Patient Education and Counseling

Patient Education and Counseling (PEC) is the Official journal of EACH, the International Association for Communication in Health Care and ACH, the Academy of Communication in Healthcare. As an interdisciplinary journal for clinicians, the PEC aims to provide a forum for fundamental and applied research, as well as to promote the study of processes affecting clinical communication, patient education, counseling, health promotion, and training models in improving communication between providers and patients.

Areas of particular interest include:

• Contemporary issues and controversies in patient education, provider-patient communication, and counseling

• Adherence to therapeutic regimens, provider-patient communication, patient participation in health care, decision-making skills, health literacy, anxiety, physiological changes, or health/functional status, in particular as they relate to patient education and counseling

• Medical education efforts regarding the teaching/training and evaluation of interpersonal skills of health care providers and their attitudes and the skills needed for optimal communication

• Innovative programs exemplifying the models of health care support, such as self-care groups, patient advocacy efforts, medication self-administration programs, and co-operative care units