Education methods and techniques for training home parenteral nutrition patients.

The goal of home infusion therapy education is to teach patients and their caregivers all aspects of home infusion to ensure independence in therapy administration and to decrease vascular access device complications and long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) complications. When patients receive home PN (HPN), the education is generally more complicated and requires a focus different from routine intravenous medication infusion. In addition, the management of an HPN patient is different from a hospitalized PN patient because needs and goals of HPN patients vary from those of hospitalized patients. Educating HPN patients so that goals and outcomes can be achieved effectively while allowing the patient to maintain as independent as possible and reduce PN complications is a challenge. This article reviews the methods of education currently available to HPN patients. The education provided to HPN patients also is reviewed, with an emphasis on achieving independence and reducing PN complications.