About Check-back
Why we developed this resource
Did you know?
…that many of us will forget up to 80% of the information a health worker tells us as soon as we leave the appointment?
Some health workers will use teach-back to check that we have understood the information they provide to us during an appointment.
Teach-back is where the health worker will explain information in plain language and then ask you to explain back in your own words what they have just told you. When a health worker uses teach-back, it can help us to recall the information when we get home, or have to tell it to a family member or friend. But not all health workers use teach-back, so this is why it is important for us as patients, or family and carers to use check-back.
Can I check-back with my health worker?
Yes, as a patient or consumer of a health service – and it doesn’t matter if it’s a private health worker or in a hospital or community health service, we have a right to ask questions and be involved in decisions about our care.
We also have the right to receive information from health workers in a way that we can understand. You can read more about your healthcare rights here.
Project development
This module was developed as a collaboration between Monash University, Safer Care Victoria, Northern Health, Ballarat Health Services and Monash Health.
Contributing Authors
Dr Alison Beauchamp
Senior Research Fellow, School of Rural Health, Monash University
Alison Beauchamp is supported by the National Health & Medical Research Council
Dr Julieanne Hilbers
Health Consultant
Dr Rebecca Jessup
Allied Health Research Lead at Northern Health
Dr Anna Wong Shee
Associate Professor, Allied Health, Ballarat Health Services
Module Production
Inky Smudge
Acknowledgements
We would particularly like to acknowledge the following people for their contribution:
- The consumers and clinicians who took part in the interviews and focus groups that provided us with the content for the module.
- The consumers and clinicians who co-designed the teach-back videos with the project team.
- Members of the check-back Expert Panel (consumers, clinicians, health managers, health educators). Ms Andrea Cooper, Ms Elizabeth Flemming-Judge, Ms Catherine Heywood, Professor Sophie Hill, Ms Lidia Horvat, Mr Stan Hudson, Professor Peter Martin, Ms Fiorina Mastroianni, Ms Sue Rawlinson, Ms Sandra Rogers, Ms Natali Ross, Ms Bianca Worboyes
Sponsorship
This resource was funded by Safer Care Victoria.
