Patient education can be divided into two large categories—clinical patient education (or clinical teaching and learning) and health education. Clinical patient education is a planned, systematic, sequential, and logical process of teaching and learning provided to patients and clients in all clinical settings.

It is also a continuous teaching and learning process involving the health care provider and the patient or client (and/or the patient’s family). The goals of clinical teaching and learning are based on the patient’s assessment, evaluation, diagno- sis, prognosis, and individual needs and requirements related to interventions. Health education is also a teaching and learning process similar to patient education.