The effect of self-management education on the quality of life and severity of the disease in patients with severe psoriasis: A non-randomized clinical trial

• Main Authors: Tahereh Najafi Ghezeljeh, Kobra Soltandehghan, Agha-Fatemeh Hoseini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2018-01-01
• Series: Nursing Practice Today
• Subjects: Psoriasis; Quality of life; Self-care
• Online Access: https://npt.tums.ac.ir/index.php/npt/article/view/307

Background & Aim: The quality of life (QOL) in patients with psoriasis is low. little evidence was available for the effect of self-management intervention in patients with psoriasis. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the self-management education on the QOL and the severity of the disease in patients with psoriasis. Methods & Materials: This non-randomized clinical trial was conducted with 99 patients hospitalized in a dermatology ward in a hospital in an urban area of Iran in 2015. They were selected using a convenient sampling method and randomly assigned into the intervention (n=50) and control groups (n=49). While the patients in the control group received routine care and education, those in the intervention group received self-management education consisting of three sessions of group education lasting between 20 and 30 minutes, discussions, educational booklet and telephone follow up one, two and three months after discharge from the hospital. Data was collected using the demographic data form, the dermatology life quality index, and psoriasis area and severity index. Findings: The means of the QOL after education in the control and intervention groups were 7.69 (SD= 6.49) and 6.46 (SD= 6.04), respectively. There were significant differences between the intervention and control groups in terms of changes in the severity of psoriasis (P value=0.025, effect size= -0.46, 95% CI= -0.86, -0.059) and QOL (P value= 0.035, effect size=-0.43, 95% CI= -0.83, -0.03) before and 3 months after the self-management education. Accordingly, the reduction of the severity of psoriasis and improvement of QOL after the self-management education was higher than the control group. Conclusion: Healthcare providers can use the self-management program as a low-cost approach along with the routine care for improving the QOL in patients with psoriasis.