Effects of a health psychology-based intervention for patients with asplenia on psychological determinants of preventive behaviour: A propensity score analysis

Abstract

ObjectivePatients with asplenia have an increased lifelong risk of severe infections especially post splenectomy sepsis with hospital mortality rates of 30–50%. Adherence to existing guidelines for preventive measures is low. Objective of the study is the evaluation of a novel intervention to increase health psychological outcomes in patients with asplenia resulting in better adherence to preventive measures. MethodsThe intervention was evaluated by conducting a prospective, two-armed historical control group design via propensity score analysis. Focus are health-psychological outcomes: self-efficacy, intention, risk perception, behaviour planning, self-management, health literacy, patient involvement and disease-knowledge. ResultsPatients in the intervention group (N = 110) showed a higher increase in almost all outcomes compared to a historical control group (N = 115). The strongest increase was observed in “asplenia-specific self-management” (average treatment effect: ATE 1.14 [95% CI 0.91–1.36] p < .001) and “asplenia-specific health-literacy” (ATE 1.42 [95% CI 1.18–1.65] p < .001). Significant intervention effects were also found in behaviour planning, perceived involvement and disease-knowledge. ConclusionThe patient-focused intervention is effective in improving health-psychological outcomes in patients with asplenia. Practice implicationsThe implementation of the intervention can make an important contribution to care and lead to an improvement of health-psychological outcomes that may result in a higher adherence to prevention measures.