Educational Intervention for IBS Patients: A Pilot Study
Author Information
Author(s): Ringström Gisela, Störsrud Stine, Lundqvist Sara, Westman Berndt, Simrén Magnus
Primary Institution: Dept of Internal Medicine, Institute of medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Hypothesis
Can a structured patient education program improve knowledge, symptom severity, and health-related quality of life in IBS patients?
Conclusion
The IBS school effectively improved patients' knowledge, gastrointestinal symptoms, and health-related quality of life.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients reported significant improvements in perceived knowledge about IBS after the education.
- GI symptom severity was significantly reduced at three and six months after the intervention.
- Health-related quality of life improved significantly in several domains after the education.
Takeaway
This study shows that teaching IBS patients about their condition can help them feel better and understand their symptoms more.
Methodology
The intervention consisted of six weekly two-hour group sessions led by different healthcare professionals, with evaluations conducted through questionnaires at multiple time points.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the self-reported nature of the questionnaires and the small, non-randomized sample.
Limitations
The small sample size limits the generalizability of the findings, and not all improvements reached statistical significance.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 37 years, with 9 females and 3 males; symptom duration averaged 15 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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