THU0641-HPR ILLITERACY IS NOT AN OBSTACLE FOR ASSIMILATION OF A PATIENT EDUCATION SESSION ON METHOTREXATE SELF-INJECTION IN RA PATIENTS A PROSPECTIVE PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Background:Patient education for RA patients has been shown to improve adherence and self-management of this chronic disease.Objectives:To assess the impact of illiteracy on assimilation of a patient education session on methotrexate self-injection in RA patients.Methods:Prospective pilot study that included 27 consecutive patients (81.5% female, mean age 44.4 years, illiteracy rate 40.7%) with RA (median duration of progression of 4 years, mean delay in referral for specialist of 6 months, median duration of methotrexate use of 1 year). The patients benefited from an individual patient education session to learn how to self-inject with methotrexate subcutaneously. The patient education session was supervised by a nurse and a rheumatologist. A 10-question dichotomous questionnaire was then administered to patients to assess the level of uptake of messages passed during the patient education session. The prevalence of correct answers was compared between illiterate and non-illiterate patients.Results:The mean duration of patient education session is 13 min.Table I illustrates the results of the correct responses prevalence and the comparison of correct response rates between illiterate and non-illiterate patients.Table 1.Prevalence of correct responses and comparison of correct response rates between illiterate and non-illiterate patients.QuestionsN=27IlliteratePYes (N=11)No (N=16)1.Do I always have to self-inject on the same day of the week? (%)96,390,9100NS2.Should Methotrexate be protected from light and away from children? (%)96,310093,7NS3.Can I self-inject anywhere on my thigh and belly 5 cm from the navel? (%)85,210075NS4.Is it important to change the injection sites? (%)70,472,768,75NS5.Do I need to pinch the skin before self-injection? (%)92,610087,5NS6.Can I always use the same needle for each injection? (%)81,590,975NS7.Do I have to wear gloves to inject Methotrexate? (%)81,590,975NS8.Do I have to apply an antiseptic product (alcohol, Betadine) to the injection site before self-injecting? (%)88,990,987,5NS9.Can I use the rest of the MTX ampoule for the next injection? (%)74,181,868,7NS10.Do I tell my doctor if I have side effects? (%)100100100NSConclusion:This study suggests that illiteracy does not affect the assimilation of information given during a patient education session. These preliminary results should encourage the development of patient education programs in our context where illiteracy rate is high.Disclosure of Interests:None declared