Improving Pre-Discharge Health Education on Medications Especially Painkiller and Antibiotics to Orthopedic Patients at Butare Teaching Hospital (CHUB), Rwanda

Purpose: The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health education as consisting of "consciously constructed opportunities for learning involving some form of communication designed to improve health literacy, including improving knowledge, and developing life skills which are conducive to individual and community health. Locally health education included the communication of information concerning the underlying social, economic and environmental conditions impacting health, as well as individual risk factors risk behaviors, and use of the health care system. To improve pre-discharge health education on medications especially painkillers and antibiotics to orthopedic patients at Butare Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: Patients file audit were conducted in August, September and October /2022 on the orthopedic surgical unit to see if there was any pre-discharge health education documentation on medications especially painkiller and antibiotics in patient files as results n=7(23%) patients who did not receive pre-discharge health education on medications while n=23(77%) patients who received pre-discharge health education on medications. This audit was conducted because on post discharge appointments patients arriving with infected or dirty wound delay an appointment, infected implant which could cause serious complications like reoperation and septicemia. Findings: Based on the results, after one month of intervention pre-discharge health education on medications went up to 21(70%) and the gap remained was 9(30%), Improvement in pre-discharge health education was a key in medication adherence, enhanced self-medication, reduced infections, patients trust toward healthcare providers, quick recovery and improving respect of appointment to the health care setting. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Providing structured pre-discharge medication education at Butare Teaching Hospital will reduce barriers for healthcare providers, support accreditation through proper documentation, and enhance patient understanding. This will improve medication adherence and lower the risk of post-discharge complications, ultimately ensuring better outcomes for orthopaedic patients.