Hospitals can also have a lasting impact on influencing the behaviour of patients and relatives, who are more responsive to health advice in situations of experienced ill-health.4,5 Given the increasing prevalence of chronic disease in Europe and throughout the world and low compliance with treatment, therapeutic education is becoming a major issue.6 Most hospital treatments do not cure but rather aim at improving the quality of life of patients. To maintain this quality, patients and relatives have to be prepared and educated more intensively for discharge.