Si l'histoire de l'éducation thérapeutique du patient m'était contée…

The story of therapeutic patient education (TPE) has been strongly influenced by evolution of theories and concepts in the fields of medicine, psychology, and pedagogy. TPE has always existed in the form of advices, but actually it was born in 1922 with the first treatment with insulin. It has had three periods. The first period spans half a century; pedagogy was vertical, authoritarian, passive. The second period began in 1970s; it was characterized by the development of a humanist, active, constructivist pedagogy. The third period, since the end of the 20th century, is dominated by the skill-based approach and by the management by objectives. This operative approach underestimates the importance of emotional experience of patients. Will TPE became a mere supplementary procedure, or will it define another medicine?