Patient/family education program: making the project management process operational.

The authors describe the development of a patient/family education program by a multidisciplinary task force that meets the needs of a culturally diverse population and that complies with current standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Methods to increase the effectiveness of clinicians as educators are addressed. The authors used the project management/continuous quality improvement format to direct program development, implementation, and outcome evaluation.