Learning to live with irritabel bowel syndrome. The influence of a group-based patient education programme on peoples' ability to manage illness in everyday life.

摘要

BACKGROUND: Living with chronic irritable bowel syndrome sets limitations in peoples' everyday lives. This is due to bad health and the difficulty to find strategies that will manage their problem. In encounters with health care providers, these people feel that they are not getting the appropriate support to manage their illness-related troubles, and they perceive themselves to be insufficiently informed about the disease. AIM: To evaluate the influence of a group-based patient education programme about irritable bowel syndrome, on people's ability to manage their illness in everyday life. METHODS: The study used an evaluative research design. Fifty-one individuals with irritable bowel syndrome completed the ways of coping questionnaire, and the irritable bowel syndrome severity scoring system, before and after participating in a multidisciplinary group-based patient education programme. RESULTS: In the participants' self assessments, statistical significances (p > 0.05) were found for the mean frequency of efforts used on the coping strategies distancing and escape-avoidance. Distancing was used more often after the education programme, while escape-avoidance, was used more seldom. The proportional use of the strategy self-controlling (relative score) was enhanced after the education programme. The participants' overall severity of symptoms was significantly reduced after the education programme. The individuals with a clinically noteworthy improvement in symptom severity (decrease