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, diagnosis, prognosis, and individual needs and requirements related to interventions. Health education is also a teaching and learning process similar to patient education.