Evaluation of a community rehabilitation service for people with rheumatoid arthritis

Patient Educ Couns. 2004 Oct;55(1):62-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2003.08.001.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of a community rehabilitation service for people with rheumatoid arthritis, provided by the Community Rehabilitation Network (CRN) in Hong Kong. The three-phase community rehabilitation service consists of a number of standardized program elements, including orientation meeting, self-help course, stress management program, water exercises class, as well as informal social and recreational activities. Using a pre-, post-test non-equivalent groups design, the outcomes of 29 clients of the treatment group were compared with 16 clients of the comparison group at baseline and at the end of 9 months, using an 86-item self-completed questionnaire. The treatment group achieved significant more increases in self-efficacy of managing the illness, more increases in self-management behaviors, but no significant increases in the overall health status or health care utilization patterns, when compared with the comparison group.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / ethnology
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / psychology
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / rehabilitation*
  • Attitude to Health / ethnology
  • Community Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Behavior
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Status
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Patient Education as Topic / organization & administration
  • Program Evaluation
  • Rehabilitation Centers / organization & administration*
  • Self Care
  • Self Efficacy
  • Surveys and Questionnaires