How to Facilitate Lifestyle Change: Applying Group Education in Healthcare

Group work and patient education are vital aspects of improving health outcomes in all settings, by supporting patients and clients to manage their conditions, as well as to promote and support behaviour change for improved health.

Concise, accessible, and easy–to–read, this new title in the popular How To series is designed to support nutritionists, dietitians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to facilitate healthy lifestyle change through group education.  How to Facilitate Lifestyle Change covers the entire group education process, from initial planning, to delivery and evaluation.  Topics include agreeing aims and objectives and structuring a session, to considering practical aspects such as setting, managing challenging group members and participant expectations, as well as evaluating and refining a session plan for future use.  It also provides an overview of the key evidence base for group learning, relevant theories and models, peer support, and e–learning opportunities.

Including case studies to illustrate the real–life application of each topic, practice points, helpful checklists, and a range of practical tips, How to Facilitate Lifestyle Change is the ideal resource to support anyone involved in group patient education and facilitation of health behaviour change.

Amanda Avery, RD, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Assistant Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, Division of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Nottingham, UK

Vanessa Halliday, PhD, RD, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Lecturer in Public Health, School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), The University of Sheffield, UK

Kirsten Whitehead, PhD, RD, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Associate Professor in Dietetics, School of Biosciences, Division of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Nottingham, UK