The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) states that 40 – 80% of the medical information patients and residents are told during office visits is forgotten immediately and nearly half of the information retained is incorrect. The teach-back method is a way of checking understanding by asking patients to state in their own words what they need to know or do about their health.

We have updated our Teach-Back Training Toolkit

Toolkit PicturesThese documents were created to assist in teach-back education and training for your team. Many of these documents can be modified to meet your needs. The toolkit includes the following:

Teach-Back Training Video (6 minute tutorial)
Teach-Back: ‘How to Get Started’ Presentation (to accompany video)

  1. Teach-Back Clinic Roadmap for Sustainability
  2. Teach-Back Clinic Training Checklist
  3. Teach-Back Poster
  4. Teach-Back Resource List
  5. Teach-Back Clinic Training Agenda Template
  6. Teach-Back Best Practice Worksheet – Plain Language
  7. Teach-Back Clinic – ‘How To Implement’ Presentation 
  8. Teach-Back Clinic Completion Certificate

Jen Everson“Regardless of a patient’s health literacy level, it is important that healthcare team members ensure their patients understand the information they have been given. The teach-back technique minimizes medical jargon and replaces it with plain language packaging with techniques of checking patients and residents understanding by having them state in their own words what they heard in your healthcare interaction with them. This technique can be used any time a healthcare team member interacts with patients and can be applied to diagnosis, treatment or medication.” shared Jennifer Everson, RN, BSN, MHA, CPHQ; Great Plains QIN Quality Improvement Advisor. Everson was responsible for the recent update to the toolkit.


If you have questions or if we can be of assistance, please reach out to a member of our team.