Abstract
Aims and objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a patient education tool (the ENAT) on self efficacy, patient knowledge, health outcomes and its usability in practice. Background: The effectiveness and value of patient education in rheumatoid arthritis have been questioned. The ENAT was developed to help the nurses to provide more focused, individualized and relevant education. The psychometric properties of the ENAT have been assessed. Design: This study is a single blind randomized controlled trial using both quantitative and qualitative methodology. The primary outcome is patient self efficacy. Secondary outcomes are physical function, psychological status, pain levels, social interaction and patient knowledge of disease. Methods: 130 RA patients will be randomized into an experimental (EG) or control group (CG). The EG patients will complete the ENAT prior to seeing a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) at weeks 0, 16 and 32. The CNS will use the ENAT as a template to meet patients perceived educational needs in addition to the usual care. The CG will receive their usual care from the CNS without the aid of the ENAT. To determine the ENAT’s usability, semi-structured quailtative interviews will take place with the practitioners and a sample of patients once they have completed the quantitative arm of the study. Results: The study commenced in April 2011 and the results are expected to be available after April 2013. Conclusions: It is hypothesized that nurses’ use of the ENAT will lead to increased patient self efficacy, and improved patient knowledge and health outcomes among the patients who used it. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that the ENAT will be easy for staff and patients to use. Relevance to clinical practice: The ENAT was developed to assess the perceived educational needs of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and thus help the nurses to provide more focused, individualised and relevant education.
Highlights
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive and disabling disease associated with significant levels of pain, morbidity and reduced psychosocial and economic status [1,2]
130 RA patients will be randomized into an experimental (EG) or control group (CG)
The CG will receive their usual care from the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) without the aid of the Educational Needs Assessment Tool (ENAT)
Summary
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive and disabling disease associated with significant levels of pain, morbidity and reduced psychosocial and economic status [1,2]. A Cochrane review which examined the effectiveness of patient education on health status in early RA patients, suggested that patient education has a small beneficial effect, these effects are short lived [1] These findings may in part be explained by the work undertaken Brooks et al [11] which demonstrated that many people with arthritis want to know more about their disease and treatments, but that a disparity exists between the patients’ perceptions of their educational needs and the health professionals who provide the education. This could mean that the educational interventions in the studies included in the Cochrane review [1], were not perceived by patients as relevant. The study commenced in April 2011 and the results are expected to be available after April 2013
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
