An increasing number of ventilator-dependent patients are being transferred from hospitals to their homes. Discharge teaching has been based on health professionals' perception of what patients need to know and how they can learn best. In this study we asked ventilator-dependent patients who were living at home (N = 13) to complete a questionnaire concerning their perceptions of ideal discharge teaching. Most respondents believed that teaching should occur (1) at the bedside, (2) with one or two family members, (3) with only the team member doing the teaching, (4) for a 30-minute session, (5) using demonstration technique. Subjects thought that teaching regarding the lung disease process was less important than other content. The patients' criteria for learning mostly agree with those identified by health care professionals, and can be met easily in most settings.