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European Journal of Dermatology

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Effectiveness of an empowerment-based intervention for psoriasis among patients attending a medical spa Volume 21, numéro 1, January-February 2011

Auteurs
Health Services Research Unit, Istituto Dermopatico dell’Immacolata–IRCCS, Via Monti di Creta 104, 00167 Rome, Italy, Terme di Comano Research Center, Trento, Italy

There is increasing interest in the management of chronic diseases through patient self-efficacy procedures. Very few studies are available assessing the efficacy of empowerment-based educational interventions for psoriasis patients. To evaluate an educational programme for increasing empowerment, in a spa setting (Comano, Italy). An educational intervention with pre-post test for empowerment evaluation was employed with patients assigned either to a control (balneotherapy) or an experimental group (balneotherapy plus empowerment-based educational interventions) (quasi-experimental). The outcome measures were self-reported scores through validated tools for empowerment, severity of disease and quality of life, assessed before and after a single two-hour empowerment-based educational intervention. A total of 136 patients completed the study (control n. 49; experimental n. 87). The experimental group reported higher levels of empowerment with improved knowledge about the disease as compared to the control group. After the balneotherapy, both groups reported a positive effect on quality of life. Patients’ characteristics linked to intervention effectiveness were identified. A single empowerment-based educational intervention has the potential to increase psoriasis patients’ empowerment by means of increased knowledge. It is advisable to promote it as a standardized, low-cost practice for motivated patients.