Osteoporosis patient education: A way to health maintenance - Update and new insights

Abstract: Background: Patient education has a number of potential advantages, and different criteria can be used to determine how patients with osteoporosis receive, employ and incorporate the health care information. Evidence of the effect of osteoporosis group education is sparse, but the few that have studied it reported that education increases the patients' awareness of osteoporosis, intake of medicine, and that it may have a preventive effect. Our knowledge of how patients with osteoporosis receive group education and use and integrate the health care information is insufficient. There is also limited data on the impact of disease duration, disease intensity, sex, age, social status and educational level on the patients' benefit and involvement in group education. Aim: To describe how patients with osteoporosis use and integrate group-based osteoporosis education.

The group education aimed to improve patient's quality of life by informing about the disease and counselling about living with osteoporosis. Two types of classes were set up:–
Patients (4–5 per class) with a vertebral fracture, 3 h/week for five weeks.
–
Patients (6–8 per class) without a vertebral fracture, 3 h/week for three weeks.
Methods: An interpretive description study with a retrospective and prospective design. Informants were women and men with osteoporosis. Data collection and analysis: Two groups of informants were followed: Group A consisted of 20 patients starting group education. Data was obtained using participant observation during classes and in patients' everyday life. Semi-structured interviews before group education and 6 months after were conducted. Data was analysed using a constant comparative method leading to identification and interpretation of patterns and themes Group B consisted of 420 programme attendees from 2006 to 2010. All were invited to answer a questionnaire including data on social and general health, effect outcome measures on medical treatment, calcium intake, new vertebral fractures, exercise, diet, daily activities, and contact with the National Osteoporosis Society. Semi-structured interview with 24 programme attendees from 2007 was conducted. Statistical analyses and qualitative outcome analysis were performed. Result: Preliminary results show that the composition of the class, and in particular the age and disease intensity of the informants, was significant for how they benefitted from and experienced the group education. New vertebral fracture was only experienced by 2% of the 2006–2012 programme attendees. Further analysis of possible associations between patients' general health and social factors and effect outcome measures and the qualitative analysis of the patients' experiences will be presented. Conclusion: The result will contribute to future disease specific development of osteoporosis patient education and will suggest pedagogical and organisational actions.