[Patient education in chronic polyarthritis. 3. Intermediate results of a prospective, controlled study of the effectiveness and side effects of patient seminars for polyarthritis patients]. / Krankheitsaufklärung bei chronischer Polyarthritis. 3. Mittelfristige Ergebnisse einer prospektiven, kontrollierten Studie zu Effizienz und Nebenwirkungen von Patientenseminaren für cP-Kranke.

Efficacy and possible negative side effects of a patient education program for rheumatoid arthritis were evaluated in a controlled, prospective study over 3 months. 34 outpatients were educated over a total of 8 h in three groups within a patient-centred design. Before the program the knowledge of the disease depended only on the formal grade of education but not on disease-related variables such as disease duration or disability. Probably due to its individualizing method, the program improved the knowledge of all patients to the same extent, regardless of their intellectual and social prerequisites. The increased cognitive knowledge did not result in negative side effects like increased pain or depression. The pain score remained unchanged. Depression decreased after the education. The group sessions made us suppose that the participants may have represented a selected group of active, psychologically stable patients, who cope well with rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, we felt that non-participation was the response of the inactive, fatalistic patients with rheumatoid arthritis, who live in social isolation and especially need our care. Therefore, future efforts must particularly focus on the problem of motivation and on an increase in the rate of participation.

[Patient education in chronic polyarthritis. 2. Organizational and curriculum concept of patient seminars for chronic polyarthritis patients]. / Krankheitsaufklärung bei chronischer Polyarthritis. 2. Organisatorisches und curriculares Konzept von Patientenseminaren für c.P.-Kranke.

In our outpatient rheumatology unit, nearly all patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 412, responder rate 89%) were asked for their concepts of patient information and what they thought the aims of a patient education program should be. The patients preferred information about biomedical and practical aspects of their disease more than talking about psychosocial problems. In the same way, from a patient education program they wanted cognitive knowledge and practical help for the daily coping with the disease more than psychological help. Considering the results of the interviews, we developed an educational program for outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis. Its organization and curriculum reflect didactic and methodical aspects of patient information in a chronic rheumatic disease.