Services on Demand
Journal
Article
Indicators
Cited by SciELO
Access statistics
Related links
Cited by Google
Similars in SciELO
Similars in Google
Share
Revista Colombiana de Reumatología
Print version ISSN 0121-8123
Abstract
ESCORCIA, María Esther et al. Effectiveness of an education program in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Hospital Universidad del Norte. Barranquilla. April-May 2005. Rev.Colomb.Reumatol. [online]. 2006, vol.13, n.1, pp.11-19. ISSN 0121-8123.
Objective: the goal of the study was to determine the effectiveness of an education program in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis who assist to Hospital Universidad del Norte (HUN). Methods: we performed a quasi experimental study in people with rheumatoid arthritis who assisted to HUN and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The main intervention was a 3 week education programme, each weekly session lasting 3 hours. Assesments were made at entry and at the end of the intervention. The main outcome variables were: patient knowledge, quality of life, pain, general health status and general functional status. The population was categorized by variable demographic aspects and characteristics of the illness. Results: the sample (n = 19) comprised 89,5% women with a mean age of 53,11 ± 18,21 years. The disease duration was 4,68 ± 3,36 years. At the end of the intervention, compared with baseline, treatment subjects demonstrated improvement in knowledge (p = 0,00). The “physical function” and “physic role” subscales of the SF-36 showed a significant improvement in the education group (p < 0,05). No significant differences were found for pain, general health status and general functional status. Conclusions: the patient education generates improvements in knowledge, physical function and physic role. Further studies of this kind, using larger patient numbers, are required.
Keywords : rheumatoid arthritis; patient education, intervention.